Over the first six months of 2017, the American Automobile Association (aka AAA) has been spreading misinformation and propaganda in a lobbying effort to defeat marijuana legalization legislative efforts in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and other states.
As reported by Leafly.com, AAA representatives have recently preyed upon unsubstantiated fears regarding the alleged “increased plague of drugged driving” and the claim that “more babies will be born high” on marijuana in their lobbying efforts against adult use regulatory reforms. The distortions do nothing to advance the public debate surrounding legalization, but they do tarnish the organization’s reputation.
Send a message to AAA telling them to put the brakes on lobbying against legalization efforts
According to federal data, auto accident fatalities have fallen significantly over the past two decades – during the same time that a majority of US states have legalized marijuana for either medical or social use. In 1996 when California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that there were an estimated 37,500 fatal car crashes on US roadways. This total fell to under 30,000 by 2014.
Further, a recently published study in the American Journal of Public Health reports that fatal traffic accident rates in legal marijuana states are no different than those in states where cannabis remains illegal. A separate study published last year in the same journal previously reported that the enactment of medical marijuana legalization laws is associated with a reduction in traffic fatalities compared to other states, particularly among younger drivers.
One would hope that AAA would be nonpartisan in this debate; that they would be the group to separate the facts from the myths so that politicians and law enforcement would be more likely to pursue evidence-based policies with regard to regulating marijuana in a manner that strengthens public safety. Instead they’re largely fear-mongering and further politicizing the issue — calling for the continued criminalization and arrest of millions of Americans who choose to use marijuana privately and responsibly. By doing so, they are arguing in favor of the failed criminal justice policies of the past and they are alienating the 60 percent of Americans who endorse the outright legalization of recreational cannabis by adults (Gallup, 2016).
Tell AAA to stop distorting the truth, send their public affairs department a message right now
There are areas of public policy where AAA is absolutely in agreement with reform advocates, including NORML. For instance, we both agree that driving under the influence of cannabis should be discouraged and legally prohibited, and that the detection of either THC or its metabolites in blood or urine is not indicative of psychomotor impairment and, therefore, should not be used a legal standard of criminal liability.
Our hope is that some day groups like NORML and AAA can work together to advocate for rational policies that work to keep our roadways safe from the threat of impaired drivers. Specifically, we recognize — as does AAA — that there is a need for greater tools and methods to more accurately determine whether or not someone is under the influence of cannabis, such as via the use and promotion of handheld performance technology.
Fact: automobiles kill, marijuana doesn’t.
that’s why I left them you get a bad ora from them now. I currently use MCA at mcatotal.com they are their direct competition and are growing the CEO is one of the sweetest people I know and they just offer way more than AAA ever can hands down!
Legalized marijuana reduces traffic fatalities by reducing opiate consumption while operating a vehicle.
Im contacting all my friends and family and were cancelling memberships with AAA until they catch up with the truth.
I agree with Julian above. As a current AAA member I will think twice about renewing my policy if the company if they continue with this partisan rhetoric.
Reduce opiate consumption, yes! Here also several sneak ways tobacckgo $iggerette $moking contributes to traffic accidents:
1. A $iggerette or two helps embolden a drunk to “feel sober”, try driving the car home from the party.
2. As the nicotine alert high wears off some alcoholic dementia returns and takes over unnoticed…
3. If they have run out of $iggerettes they may try driving into an unfamiliar (or unfriendly) neighborhood trying to find a store.
1. Substitute cannabis (and/or basil, chamomile, damiana, dandelion, eucalyptus etc.) for tobacckgo
2. Substitute Vaping for $moking (heat herb to under 400F in quarter-inch screened crater)
3. Substitute 25-mg SVSS single vapetoke serving size for 700-mg $ig, 500-mg joint, 450-mg beedi etc.
I do indeed hope we can work together….it is very true that we MUST not ignore that one cannot get behind the wheel “stoned.” Just as one cannot get behind the wheel drunk. Lives are indeed put at risk in both cases. However, the AAA truly does need to remain nonpartisan. If they do go political, spreading needless fear and anti-legalization propaganda…it will be most sad indeed. I have the AAA roadside assistance, but I hope we can work together on legalization, too.
My first thought, when I read this, was to not renew my family’s 29 year AAA membership. I just received notification that it’s time to renew, and unless AAA stops spreading false information like this, I won’t be renewing.
false misinformation is a good way to be arrogant and lose consumers and anyone with the right mind can get stoned and drive.
First off, driving while stoned is nowhere near as 100% dangerous as drunk. Alcohol actually effects your motor skills, hand eye coordination, consciousness and perception. No amount of cannabis can impair your driving skills like 3 or more drinks.
Second, bye bye AAA. You were the most expensive insurance for me. Since I lease, I have BETTER roadside assistance than you offer. I gladly dropped my AAA policy the first time I heard this garbage.
No more AAA until they get with the will of the people and how nearly all now view this issue
AAA- Try doing some actual research and posting verifiable facts, rather than disseminating propaganda. This is a real problem regarding cananbis legalization in the US. If one looks at the cold, hard facts- there is no reason whatsoever to not legalize Cannabis in the USA- and there is a great deal of verifiable evidence why it should be legalized for adult use as well as medical. You just lost a long time member and I am switching to AARP instead. To me, there is nothing worse than lying to the public. Here is an idea for you though- try spending time and money getting alcohol and opiates off the streets- the two drugs that cause the most damage in the country. I have zero respect for any company that lies like this.
I get that marijuana is a drug, but it’s not at all on the same level as booze, when it comes to impaired driving. I drive a bus for a living, and I medicate (several times) before any work shift. By most measures it makes me better at my job then I otherwise would be. I’m pretty sure the effects (or lack there of) of marijuana on our motor functions has been proven 1/10 of booze. Should we make asprin illegal to have in your system when you drive? How about caffeine? How about lack of sleep? (Same as drunk). I’m pretty sure bad drivers don’t need anything to be bad at driving. It just seems to me that just because it’s simple to say ‘one shouldn’t drive while ‘stoned”, but it really isn’t that cut and dry. At this rate I’ll have to lie my intire proffessional career, worried about beating the next test, over something that makes me more proficient at the job..
Just another paid off crony of big pharma, the sheriff’s association, and private prisons to keep it illegal. Screw laws that benefit corporations and repress the people.
This is just more propoganda. I refuse to drive after drinking, even if only a couple of drinks, because of a DUI when I was 20. I will however, drive an hour or so after consuming some cannabis., because the “high” is usually gone by then. This whole argument is like comparing heroin and aspirin.
Time to start looking for a Roadside Assistance company with some integrity – not an easy task.
I recently wrote directly to AAA but since I’m not rich or have any juice, I never got any reply.