Medical marijuana laws and workplace fatalities in the United States Articles uri icon

publication date

  • January 2018

start page

  • 33

end page

  • 39

volume

  • 60

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0955-3959

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1873-4758

abstract

  • Aims: The aim of this research was to determine the association between legalizing medical marijuana and workplace fatalities. Design: Repeated cross-sectional data on workplace fatalities at the state-year level were analyzed using a multivariate Poisson regression. Setting: To date, 29 states and the District of Columbia have legalized the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Although there is increasing concern that legalizing medical marijuana will make workplaces more dangerous, little is known about the relationship between medical marijuana laws (MMLs) and workplace fatalities. Participants: All 50 states and the District of Columbia for the period 1992¿2015. Measurements: Workplace fatalities by state and year were obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Regression models were adjusted for state demographics, the unemployment rate, state fixed effects, and year fixed effects. Findings: Legalizing medical marijuana was associated with a 19.5% reduction in the expected number of workplace fatalities among workers aged 25¿44 (incident rate ratio [IRR], 0.805; 95% CI,.662¿.979). The association between legalizing medical marijuana and workplace fatalities among workers aged 16¿24, although negative, was not statistically significant at conventional levels. The association between legalizing medical marijuana and workplace fatalities among workers aged 25¿44 grew stronger over time. Five years after coming into effect, MMLs were associated with a 33.7% reduction in the expected number of workplace fatalities (IRR, 0.663; 95% CI,.482¿.912). MMLs that listed pain as a qualifying condition or allowed collective cultivation were associated with larger reductions in fatalities among workers aged 25¿44 than those that did not. Conclusions: The results provide evidence that legalizing medical marijuana improved workplace safety for workers aged 25¿44. Further investigation is required to determine whether this result is attributable to reductions in the consumption of alcohol and other substances that impair cognitive function, memory, and motor skills. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.

keywords

  • medical marijuana workplace fatalities medical cannabis medical cannabis adolescent adult aged alcohol consumption article cannabis use colombia controlled study cross-sectional study demography drug legislation fatality female human incidence legal evidence legal procedure male middle aged occupational safety priority journal unemployment united states worker workplace accident cannabis smoking drug legislation epidemiology legislation and jurisprudence mortality statistics and numerical data trends workplace young adult accidents adolescent adult aged cross-sectional studies humans legislation; drug marijuana smoking medical marijuana middle aged united states workplace young adult