It’s been 12 years since voters in Michigan approved the use of cannabis by residents for certain medical conditions, and 2 years since passage of a voter initiative allowing adult recreational sales and uses of marijuana. Now there’s a new report from the University of Michigan on cannabis usage trends in the state, including downstream effects such as motor vehicle crashes, emergency room visits and criminal justice cases.

Impact of Recreational Cannabis Legalization in Michigan: A Baseline Report, was prepared by the University of Michigan Injury Prevention Center, in Ann Arbor, with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was published in May.

“[T]his report was planned to compile existing baseline data regarding what is known about the use of cannabis and its impact on the health and well-being of Michigan citizens and communities,” the report states. “Examining these indicators over time will allow stakeholders and public health officials to best understand the health, social and economic impact associated with the legalization of recreational cannabis.”

Here are highlights of key findings detailed in the report:

• About 1 in 9 Michigan residents (11.6%) use marijuana at least once a month.
• Marijuana usage is more common among men than women (12.9% versus 8.3%)
• 3% of Michigan’s population has medical cannabis certifications, an increase of 250% since 2011, the first year certifications were available.
• State revenues from Michigan’s medical marijuana program (excluding taxes on sales) has been running $5 million to $7 million a year since 2011.
• From October 2018 through March 2019 total medical marijuana sales at licensed facilities in Michigan totaled $56.4 million.
• Although the rate of fatal accident crashes on Michigan roads has been falling in recent years, the percentage of crashes involving cannabis-impaired drives has risen.
• Hospital emergency room visits for cannabis-related conditions have been on the rise since 2016.
• Felony and misdemeanor convictions in Michigan have been steadily falling since 2012, and represented about 3.2% of all convictions there in 2018.

You can download a copy of the report here.