The Canadian Institute of Actuaries and the Casualty Actuarial Society commissioned a new report, entitled Assessing the Impact of Marijuana Decriminalization on Vehicle Accident Experience, which found that decriminalization has not affected vehicle insurance statistics.
They say the report will play a key role in insurance companies’ assessment of associated changes in the vehicle accident experience and contribute to improving the analysis and pricing of the risk.
“The study provides new insight into the impacts of marijuana decriminalization on the vehicle accident experience and the implications for the insurance industry,” the report’s researchers write.
Canadian and U.S. data for 2016 to 2019 were used in the study, including official reports about collisions, fatal accidents and weather factors. “The analysis showed no statistically significant changes in the average cost per claim and claim frequency after marijuana legalization in Canada,” they write. “The quarterly data available for Quebec led to similar findings.” Similarly, in the U.S., decriminalization’s effect on fatalities failed to detect a statistically significant change.