This is in Casual Conversation, meaning that it's only partly serious if at all.

A recent study shows that states with medical marijuana laws have lower traffic fatalities.

Several reasons were given for why this occurs.

Question for casual discussion:

Why do the traffic fatalities go down in states that have legalized medical marijuana?

From my experience with Mary Jane in the 1970s and part of the 1980s, it was because:

1) Why go anywhere when you've almost discovered the deeper meaning of Gilligan's Island?

2) Playing guitar is way more interesting than driving.

3) This couch is just so comfy.

4) Forgot what I had to go get.

5) Wanna ball?

6) Chicken train, running all day; chicken train, running all day; I can't get on; I can't get off; someone take this train away (or thereabouts on the lyrics).

7) In Watermelon Sugar, just one more chapter and I'll go get what I forgot that I had to get.

8) Once in the car, after figuring out where to put the key, it's a freaking jungle out there! How fast am I going? Twenty? Okay, it'll get there.

9) Once in the store, spend way too much time fascinated with chip bags.

10) Take in an old movie showing at The Grand instead of going home, dollar matinee.

I read that as "Questions for causal discussion," was about to chastise you for your choice of a category, and got a good laugh when I realized my mistake.

Sorry, but the world has changed quite a bit since your days of dancing with MJ.

Legalizing marijuana would result in a huge increase in traffic fatalities.

Back in the day, before another 30 years of suburbanization and such changes, you could just walk to the grocery store or convenience store. No longer.

Now, your plan will put hundreds of thousands of high drivers on the road, searching for munchies....

Another thing that keeps stoned people out of the traffic fatality stats is the lack of road rage. So there you are trucking along and an aggressive driver cuts you off. Oh well, just slow down a bit, give a little room and keep on trucking. Its road pacifism, aka defensive driving.

Although driving a beater keeps people away too. I obviously don't care as much about my vehicle as you do about yours. This works especially well in Chicago. So if you mix a stoned driver with a beater, double safety points?

I got the most respect on the road when driving an old tanker truck. We called it Sebastian. Think it was vintage 1948, had to double-clutch, and yes, this was during the early-mid 1980s, hauling water for a mountain cafe/bar/lodge where I managed the music scene, cooked and tended bar. It was a period of being between IT jobs. What a hoot that was!