While it might not be a popular topic, data from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System shows a disturbing trend in Colorado: that the number of Colorado drivers involved in fatal crashes who also tested positive for marijuana has risen sharply since 2013. According to a Denver Post report, federal and state data show that the instances more than doubled since Marijuana was legalized. From 2013 to 2015 drivers who tested positive for alcohol in fatal crashes grew 17 percent while drivers who tested positive for marijuana use jumped 145 percent. The report also cited statistics that trends in the state of Washington are nearly identical to Colorado. Both states legalized recreational marijuana around the same time. There are those that state that it is too early to say if marijuana is the reason for rising numbers of fatalities and insist that additional years of data are required.
