Clark County commissioners approved licenses for 18 medical marijuana dispensaries this June, which is the maximum number of dispensaries available within the jurisdiction. The commissioners spent three days listening to pitches from dozens of people who want to run medical marijuana dispensaries, with 81 total applicants vying for 18 licenses. The dispensaries are expected to be spread throughout the city, and the criteria used to approve licenses included local residency, the business location and plans for security. The approved licensees will need state approval, according to 8 News Now. 
With new medical marijuana dispensaries opening, people with serious medical problems will be able to get the help they need. Unfortunately, increasingly lax attitudes toward marijuana use may also encourage more recreational use of marijuana and may up the risk of collisions involving stoned drivers. This is especially a concern as a recent study shows that many college students do not view driving while under the influence of cannabis to be as dangerous as driving while drunk.
Drivers who are stoned or who have consumed cannabis products may have slower reaction times and impaired judgment that could increase the chances of a deadly motor vehicle collision. An attorney at Cohen & Padda, LLP can represent victims of student accidents involving marijuana use and help those who have been harmed to get compensation for losses.
Studies Show Dangers of Stoned Driving Underestimated by Students
Researchers from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst asked 640 incoming freshman at two different universities to take a survey. A total of 338 freshman agreed to answer questions about drunk and alcohol use and driving. The students were asked about marijuana use, about drug use and about whether they had driven or gotten into the car with someone who was driving after consuming drugs or alcohol.
Around 30 percent of men said they had used cannabis in the 30 days prior to taking the survey, compared with 13 percent of women. Majorities of both men and women (67 and 64 percent respectively) said that they had used alcohol. A total of 23 percent of men and nine percent of women admitted to both alcohol and cannabis use.
When asked about driving, 44 percent of men and nine percent of women said they had driven after using marijuana. Even more students admitted to getting into the car with someone who had used cannabis products: 51 percent of men and 35 percent of women were passengers in cars with stoned drivers. This is a significantly higher number of people driving with someone who has used drugs, compared with the seven percent of students who said they’d been in the car with someone who had drank alcohol.
The data suggests that college students may be significantly underestimating the potential risks associated with using marijuana and then driving. It is important for young people to know that driving stoned is also illegal, can result in a DUI charge, and could result in a fatal accident or permanent injuries from a collision.
Contact a Las Vegas accident lawyer at Cohen & Padda LLP. Call today at (800) 967-1923 or visit http://www.capattorneys.com for a free case evaluation.