President Obama’s drug czar has a warning for America’s stoners: Marijuana is the top drug involved in fatal car wrecks, and it’s on the rise.
Deep in the September newsletter from the Office of National Drug Control Policy is a chart based on new Transportation Department statistics that shows 1,588 fatally injured drivers tested positive for cannabinoids in 2012, up from 1,176 in 2005.
Overall, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said 21,394 drivers were killed in traffic crashes in 2012. Some 4,520 testing positive for drugs, or 21 percent.
Added the report: “Narcotics and depressants were less common than cannabinoids in drug-tested drivers from 2005 to 2012, with early increases tempered by recent declines. Stimulants have declined steadily over the same period.”
The report comes as several cities and regions are eyeing legislation that would legalize marijuana. Washington D.C., for example, has a legalization initiative on the fall ballot.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
