New Yorkers Support Legal Pot, But Worry About Driving High: Poll

The latest Truth in Medicine poll conducted by South Nassau Communities Hospital showed that half of metro-area New York residents support legalizing marijuana, but many are still concerned about people driving while using the drug.

The Truth in Medicine poll is conducted quarterly, and surveys 600 residents of Long Island and New York City about health topics of the day. With New York looking to legalize recreational marijuana use, this quarter's poll focused on that issue.

Though half of respondents were in favor of legalization, 74 percent expressed concern about people driving under the influence of marijuana, and 57 percent did not know that there is currently no field sobriety test for the drug. South Nassau said that 40 percent of respondents were against legalization, and 10 percent were unsure.

More than half of people said they believed marijuana was addictive, and 49 percent said it is a gateway drug to other drug use.

However, the benefits seemed to outweigh the risks for many people. An overwhelming majority of respondents -- 86 percent -- said that taxes raised from the sale of recreational marijuana should be used to advance public health initiatives, and a whopping 94 percent said the drug should not be sold near schools or houses of worship.

“Regardless of your personal opinion on medical or recreational marijuana use, should recreational use become legal in New York, there needs to be a significant public health campaign on the dangers of driving while under the influence,” said Dr. Adhi Sharma, South Nassau’s chief medical officer and executive vice president. “Long Island was in the forefront of efforts to educate the public about dangers of driving while under influence of alcohol. No less an effort should surround any legalization of recreational marijuana.”

Recreational marijuana is currently legal in nine states, and medical marijuana use is legal in 30, including New York. Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Regulated Marijuana Workgroup will be holding a listening session at Hofstra University next week to hear thoughts on legalization from Long Island residents.

Safety seems to be the largest issue for people when it comes to legalization. Marijuana does affect your ability to drive, studies show, but to what extent remains largely unknown, experts say. As more and more states legalize recreational marijuana, driving under the influence becomes an increasingly important topic. In New York State, it is illegal to drive under the influence of marijuana, but there is no on-site chemical tests, like a breathalyzer or similar field sobriety test, to determine how recently the drug was used. Only a blood test can determine that.

The increased acceptance of marijuana as a legal substance may give people a false sense of security about its safety, warned Dr. Aaron E. Glatt, South Nassau’s department of medicine chair and hospital epidemiologist. According to a recent study in the American Academy of Pediatrics, marijuana is one of the most widely used substances during pregnancy. Nursing mothers are being advised to avoid marijuana use because traces of Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC (the ingredient in marijuana that gets people high), can be detected in breast milk up to six days after use of the drug.

Glatt also said that long-term marijuana use can impact brain development, lead to respiratory and heart problems and have negative effects on mental health and social abilities.

“Even if recreational marijuana use is legalized, it must come with public education about potential risks as the full scope of health impacts are still largely unknown," said Glatt. "At the very least, it should be heavily regulated, like alcohol.”

Opinions on legalization also varied greatly by age. Of respondents 18 to 34, 62 percent supported legalization. But in older people, those 65 and up, nearly the same percentage opposed legalizing marijuana. Those ages 35 to 65 are nearly evenly split on the issue.

“As recreational use becomes more widely accepted and legal, we must simultaneously intensify our public safety campaigns about the dangers of driving under the influence of marijuana so that drivers are not given a false sense of security," Sharma said. "Just as parents educate their children about the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol, the same should be done for marijuana use.”

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