AAA says strongly opposes efforts to legalize recreational marijuana
RICHMOND, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- Legislation before the Virginia General Assembly aims to legalize recreational use of cannabis.
However, a traffic safety organization says it strongly opposes the bills, saying lives would be put at risk on the roads if they pass.
According to a release, AAA Mid-Atlantic says its opposition stems from the inherent traffic safety risks and because of the difficulties in determining impairment by law enforcement officers.
The release says that data has shown cannabis-involved traffic fatalities increase after legalization.
AAA found crash rates and insurance claims increased in Washington, Colorado, Nevada and Oregon after each state passed recreational use legalization.
The release says law enforcement agencies lack the tools and training needed to take on cannabis-impaired driving because there is no chemical test for cannabis impairment, requiring officers to undergo training to be classified as Drug Recognition Experts.
However, AAA does support pending budget amendments and a dedicated revenue stream to fund DRE training and certification to help address Virginia’s lack of such officers. At this time, there is no such revenue stream in the state budget.
The bills are House Bill 2312 and Senate Bill 1406.