This just came out at PubMed. You might want to (anonymously) send this to your boss! The results were pretty amazing! Medical marijuana laws and workplace fatalities in the United States (abst – 2018) https://www.ijdp.org/article/S0955-3959(18)30196-8/fulltext Abstract Aims The aim of this research was to determine the association between legalizing medical marijuana and workplace fatalities. Design Repeated cross-sectional data on workplace fatalities at the state-year level were analyzed using a multivariate Poisson regression. Setting To date, 29 states and the District of Columbia have legalized the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Although there is increasing concern that legalizing medical marijuana will make workplaces more dangerous, little is known about the relationship between medical marijuana laws (MMLs) and workplace fatalities. Participants All 50 states and the District of Columbia for the period 1992–2015. Measurements Workplace fatalities by state and year were obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Regression models were adjusted for state demographics, the unemployment rate, state fixed effects, and year fixed effects. Findings Legalizing medical marijuana was associated with a 19.5% reduction in the expected number of workplace fatalities among workers aged 25–44 (incident rate ratio [IRR], 0.805; 95% CI, .662–.979). The association between legalizing medical marijuana and workplace fatalities among workers aged 16–24, although negative, was not statistically significant at conventional levels. The association between legalizing medical marijuana and workplace fatalities among workers aged 25–44 grew stronger over time. Five years after coming into effect, MMLs were associated with a 33.7% reduction in the expected number of workplace fatalities (IRR, 0.663; 95% CI, .482–.912). MMLs that listed pain as a qualifying condition or allowed collective cultivation were associated with larger reductions in fatalities among workers aged 25–44 than those that did not. Conclusions The results provide evidence that legalizing medical marijuana improved workplace safety for workers aged 25–44. Further investigation is required to determine whether this result is attributable to reductions in the consumption of alcohol and other substances that impair cognitive function, memory, and motor skills. So legalizing cannabis for medical use was associated with an almost 20% drop in expected job deaths in young to adult workers in MMJ states! And after five years, this drop increased to over 33%! With more liberal MMJ laws increased the reduction! And remember, that is with just partial (medical) legalization! Could full legalization reduce the mortality rate even further??? I think that is one heck of a good argument for legalizing cannabis, or at least, to end drug testing for cannabis! Why would a sane employer want to test for and ban a substance that appears to increase job place safety? Granny
It would be interesting to know if these MMJ users were actually intoxicated at work. Does this include CBD only products? Does this include people who medicate in the evening after work who would just happen to fail a drug test? How many of these users are the ones who light up in the parking lot at lunch time?
This would be impressive.. if it weren't a correlation study. Yes, legal cannabis exists and yes work place safety is increasing. The other key factors that played a role in this have not been assessed by this study. What about workplace regulation enforcement changes over the past ten years? Presence of OSHA. Has the number of users increased since legalization? I don't really think so. Legality doesn't stop anyone.