The impact of legalized marijuana on Colorado

Politicians, skeptics, supporters, those leading the war on drugs, and those leading the war on the war on drugs are looking to Colorado’s pioneering of marijuana legalization and regulation, and everyone is blown away by the statistics. Two of the facts really stand out and show how marijuana legalization might not bring down civilization as we know it.

1. Crime rates in Denver have drastically and suddenly fallen.

Marijuana arrests account for 50% of all drug-related crime, so it’s little wonder what the legalization of pot would do to that number. According to the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, the state is saving around $12 to $40 million by removing marijuana prosecution.

A bigger surprise would be the murder rate, which is down 42.1% since legalization in January. Violent crime and property damage occurrences have also depleted.

2. Marijuana sales (and therefore tax revenue for Colorado) are much (MUCH) higher than expected.

March pot sales numbers were recently released, showing a $5 million increase from February sales, sitting at $19 million and $14 million respectively. Total state taxes are sitting around $10 million thus far, all of which will go to schools, infrastructure, and drug abuse treatment programs for youth.

Governor Hickenlooper revised his budget plan to expect $1 billion worth of retail marijuana sales in the next fiscal year, netting nearly $134 million in tax revenue for the state of Colorado.

These revelations have changed many attitudes towards marijuana across the nation and within Colorado. Governor Hickenlooper was not a fan of the law when it was first passed, but now says, “While the rest of the country’s economy is slowly picking back up, we’re thriving here in Colorado.”

Of course, with any legal drug, there will be problems. Look at alcohol and cigarettes: underage use is abundant, and marijuana does not escape those issues either. Up to 15 children have been hospitalized for marijuana ingestion (most of these have been due to edibles.) But like alcohol and cigarettes, there are laws in place to prevent underage use, and most Coloradans at least, are okay with the risk, due to the positive benefits the state currently enjoys.

The marijuana industry is booming for Colorado, generating jobs, improving education around drugs, improving education in schools, and creating tax revenue to improve conditions throughout the state. The attitude in Colorado has changed drastically as well: when the law was voted in, it won by a margin of 10%, but a recent poll found that that margin has increased to 22%, showing that 12% of Colorado citizens changed their mind about marijuana after the new laws either impacted or did not impact their lives.