Medical marijuana not a threat to workplace safety, study finds
Do states with legalized medical marijuana see an increase in employment related injuries or illnesses? You could probably argue the point either way, but what do the statistics show?
Jul 31, 2020670.7K Shares10.3M Views
Do states with legalized medical marijuana see an increase in employment related injuries or illnesses? You could probably argue the point either way, but what do the statistics show?
A study of workplace safety in Oregonshows clearly that going to work in that state gets safer every year. It’s one of the steadiest graphs you could ever see.
So, what happened when Oregon legalized medical marijuana way back in 1998? Nothing. What happened when the number of users went from 10,000 to 40,000? Nothing. Workplaces continue to get safer with nary a bump of any kind.
“„During testimony in 2009 in the House Business & Labor Committee, members of the business lobby Associated Oregon Industries fought against a bill to recognize workplace rights for medical marijuana patients. Michael Adamski of The Stoller Group, a temporary labor agency, stated it was “irresponsible” to allow employed medical marijuana patients “to have marijuana in their systems, putting the safety of everyone around them in jeopardy.”
“„Yet data on workplace safety and productivity since the advent of the medical marijuana program show that claim to be unfounded. Prior to the beginning of the medical marijuana program, workplace injuries and illnesses that contributed to a lost workday stood at 3.4 per 100 full-time workers; in 2009 that rate is 2.3 per 100, a decline of 32%.
“„…
“„These declines occurred while the medical marijuana patient registry grew by an average of a little more than 50% per year.
“„Commenting on the research, NORML Outreach Coordinator Russ Belville said, “While correlation does not equal causation – we can’t say medical marijuana laws made the workplaces safer – we certainly do not see any correlation between Oregon workplace safety statistics and Associated Oregon Industries’ scaremongering about the threat of patients in the workplace.”
Paolo Reyna
Reviewer
Paolo Reyna is a writer and storyteller with a wide range of interests. He graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies.
Paolo enjoys writing about celebrity culture, gaming, visual arts, and events. He has a keen eye for trends in popular culture and an enthusiasm for exploring new ideas. Paolo's writing aims to inform and entertain while providing fresh perspectives on the topics that interest him most.
In his free time, he loves to travel, watch films, read books, and socialize with friends.
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