Nevada: Traffic Deaths Drop Over 10% Following Marijuana Legalization
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Contrary to prohibitionist rhetoric, traffic deaths in Nevada dropped over 10% in the first year following the legalization of marijuana.
According to
data collected and released by the Nevada Department of Public Safety, 277 people died in car crashes between July, 2017 and May 2018. This is a 10.6% decrease from the same period a year prior; 310 people were killed in traffic accidents between July 2016, and May, 2017.
Marijuana officially became legal in Nevada on January 1, 2017. Legal marijuana sales began half a year later, on July 1. The law allows anyone 21 and older to possess marijuana, and purchase it from a licensed retail outlet.
According to the Nevada Department of Taxation, there was over $41 million in marijuana and marijuana products sold legally in March, which easily surpasses the previous monthly record of $35.8 million set in December.