DUID Victim Voices

DUID Victim Network

Lying to Congress

This week the Cannabis Industry Association (CIA) presented its report to Congress extolling marijuana’s tax and employment benefits, its use to combat the opioid crisis, the industry need for access to banking services,  and putting its own spin on some of the problems caused by marijuana: crime, use by minors, and highway safety.  One page was devoted to marijuana-impaired driving.  We leave it to others to critique the bulk of the report. We will summarize below only … READ MORE

The marijuana lobby

Colorado’s Republican Representative Polly Lawrence and Democratic Representative Jonathan Singer sponsored a request to the State’s Legislative Council to form in interim study committee to consider new evidence on DUID, and to determine if that evidence demonstrated a need for legislation in the 2019 regular legislative session.

They garnered the support of an additional 33 Representatives from both parties to augment their request.  That’s a total of 35 of the 65 Representatives in the State.… READ MORE

Another politician bought?

DUID Victim Voices has focused only on drugged driving, leaving the issue of legalizing impairing drugs like marijuana to others.  After all, drugged driving is a serious problem regardless of whether or not marijuana is legalized.  Legalization just makes it harder for states to deal responsibly with DUID.

However, we do step into the marijuana legalization issue when politicians do or say stupid things, convincing us that they may have been bought by, or at … READ MORE

Vermont’s mockery

Vermont’s legislature wants to be the first in the nation to legalize marijuana via legislative action, rather than the ballot box.   Governor Phil Scott has pushed back based on concerns about making the drug available to children, and the effect legalization would have on highway safety.  

The bill now before the legislature, H-511 is intended to alleviate those concerns, but resoundingly fails to do so.

Penalties have been added for adults providing marijuana … READ MORE

Lies, Damns Lies and Statistics

The marijuana lobby’s media spokesmen Westword and Merry Jane were quick to laud trauma surgeon Jayson Aydelotte’s August 2017 report from the University of Texas – Austin. The report in the American Journal of Public Health studied fatal vehicle crashes and found that Colorado and Washington fatal crashes were not statistically different from similar states without recreational marijuana.

Although the statistical tools used were proper, readers should avoid inferring too much from the report, … READ MORE