So far, so good: What we know about marijuana legalisation in Colorado, Washington, Alaska, Oregon, and Washington D.C.

As Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada prepare to vote on marijuana legalization next month, all eyes are on the initial outcomes of those states that have already legalized marijuana. In 2012, Colorado and Washington became the first two U.S. states – and the first two jurisdictions in the world – to approve ending marijuana prohibition and legally regulating marijuana production, distribution and sales. In the 2014 election, Alaska and Oregon followed suit, while Washington D.C. passed a more limited measure that legalized possession and home cultivation of marijuana (but did not address its taxation and sale due to D.C. law).

A new report by the Drug Policy Alliance brings good news for the states considering legalization at the ballot on November 8, 2016, and the broader marijuana legalization movement. Since the adult possession of marijuana became legal, these states have benefitted from a dramatic decrease in marijuana arrests and convictions, as well as increased tax revenues. During the same period, these states did not experience increases in youth marijuana use or traffic fatalities.

Click here to read the full article.

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