Pubdate: Sat, 15 Mar 2014
Source: Fort Collins Coloradoan (CO)
Copyright: 2014 The Fort Collins Coloradoan
Contact: http://www.coloradoan.com/customerservice/contactus.html
Website: http://www.coloradoan.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1580
Author: James Ervin

REAL ISSUE ISN'T MARIJUANA, IT'S IMPAIRMENT

In regards to Ray Martinez's soapbox on marijuana, ("Don't rush into
retail pot shops in Fort Collins," March 4):

Some people use data points without context to tell us we have a
problem. Using the University of Michigan's monitoring the future
survey, he is stating alcohol use is at historic lows but doesn't
mention it is currently 40 percent and marijuana is at a 30-year high,
which is currently 7 percent. But marijuana usage in 1977 was 11
percent. Yes, 1977 was more than 30 years.

http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/data/13data/13drfig14.pdf

Each year in Colorado, more than 26,000 people are arrested for DUI
and more than 150 people are killed in alcohol-related traffic crashes
- - representing more than one-third of Colorado's total motor vehicle
fatalities. Drug-impaired driving is also a serious problem, with 16
percent of fatalities (2006-2010) involving drivers who tested
positive for drugs.

http://www.coloradodot.info/programs/alcohol-and-impaired-driving

So 16 percent of all fatalities are drug-impaired. They don't tell
what drugs, other than making a statement "under the influence of
medications, medical marijuana, and illegal drugs."

The real issue should be individuals driving under the influence,
whether it is alcohol, medications, marijuana or illegal drugs.

A Republican president had the following saying: You can fool all the
people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you
cannot fool all the people all the time.

James Ervin, Fort Collins
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MAP posted-by: Matt