Impacts of Recreational Marijuana Legalization in Washington

Two reports by the Forecasting and Research Division of the Washington Office of Financial Management analyze the production and sales of marijuana since its recreational legalization in Washington and its impacts on crime.

In February 2015, a baseline report, Monitoring Impacts of Recreational Marijuana Legalization: 2015 Baseline Report, was released. A second report, Monitoring Impacts of Recreational Marijuana Legalization: 2015 Update Report, was released in January 2016 to include additional data and account for legislation modifying some of the provisions initially outlined in Initiative 502.

Both reports measure and analyze:

  • Marijuana use
  • Marijuana production and sales
  • Marijuana misuse
  • Crime related to marijuana
  • Marijuana tax revenues
  • Local marijuana ordinances