Utah Department of Public Safety

Public Safety Concerns Regarding Medical Marijuana

While the Utah Department of Public Safety acknowledges that there is information supporting the clinical use of marijuana, DPS has some preliminary concerns regarding a more broadly-defined medical use of marijuana in our state and the negative impact it could have on public safety.

• DPS is concerned with the increase of traffic fatalities in Colorado that are linked to marijuana. Since medical marijuana was legalized in 2009, Colorado has seen a 300% increase in traffic deaths where the driver tested positive for marijuana.

 

• DPS is concerned about increased general marijuana abuse in medical marijuana states. 
• The top ten states for reported marijuana use among school age students (12 to 17 years) are all medical-marijuana states averaging 10.09

 

• Compared to the national average use among school age students (12 to 17 years) of 7.20% (Utah is ranked 50th, with 4.54% reported usage)

 

• The top ten states for reported marijuana use in college age students (18-25 years) are all medical-marijuana states (Utah is ranked 50th)

• The top ten states for reported marijuana use in adults aged 26+ are all medical-marijuana states, whereas the bottom ten are all non-medical-marijuana states (Utah is ranked 49th)

• DPS is concerned that medical marijuana will NOT be used as intended.
  • • In July 2009, Colorado had 11,094 patients on the medical marijuana registry, and by December 2016 Colorado’s medical marijuana registry has grown to 94,577 patients.
      • Approximately 93% of the medical card holders report severe pain as the reason for obtaining medical marijuana
      • Only 4% of the medical card holders report cancer as the reason for obtaining medical marijuana.
      • The average age of the medical card holders is 43 years, and 63% of card holders are male

 

• DPS is concerned about criminal organizations or individuals setting up operations and selling in Utah or exporting out of state.
  • In 2016, there were 346 Colorado marijuana interdiction seizures destined for other states compared to the average of 52 between 2005 – 2008 – this is a 650% increase.
  • Of the 346 seizures in 2016, there were 37 different states destined to receive marijuana from Colorado