Findings in a recent study conducted by two university professors reveal that young adults and underage drinkers may be drinking and driving less in states with legalized marijuana. Statistics show a decline of traffic deaths in the 16 states that do have legalized marijuana laws, and could be due to less underage drinking and drinking in general by younger persons, who may prefer using marijuana over drinking alcohol.

The link between the states was discovered after research conducted by D. Mark Anderson, an economics professor at Montana State University, and Daniel Rees, a professor at the University of Colorado Denver. The two researchers stated their surprise when they recently released their findings on the website for the Institute for the Study of Labor. The study is under review by the Journal of Law and Economics.

Rees said that the results could be because young people and underage drinkers have more access to marijuana and don't want to risk a Minor in Possession (MIP) or a DWI charge.

"The result that comes through again and again and again is [that] young adults ... drink less when marijuana is legalized, and traffic fatalities go down," Rees said. Anderson stated that while the study does not prove that marijuana impairs drivers less than alcohol, it is possible.

Discover magazine is skeptical of the study and recently published that there are still many questions surrounding the statistics in the states where medical marijuana is legal. The study did not compare statistics in states where marijuana is not legal.

Source: Huffington Post, "States that legalized medical marijuana saw fewer traffic deaths, study says" Dec. 30, 2011