scholarly journals Marijuana Policy Opinions in Washington State Since Legalization

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 369-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meenakshi Sabina Subbaraman ◽  
William C. Kerr
Keyword(s):  
State Level ◽  
Marijuana Use ◽  
Washington State ◽  
Marijuana Legalization ◽  
Random Digit ◽  
Random Digit Dial ◽  
Recreational Marijuana ◽  
Personal Use ◽  
Multivariable Models ◽  
The Relationship

Background: In 2012, voters in Washington state approved Initiative 502 (I-502) which legalized recreational marijuana use at the state level. This study examines the relationship between demographics, marijuana and alcohol use, and voting outcomes, as well as how these variables relate to (i) whether voters would still vote the same way (a reflection of satisfaction with the new policy) and (ii) the likelihood of using marijuana purchased from legal retail stores. Methods: The sample consists of 2,007 adult Washington state residents recruited through Random Digit Dial between January and October 2014. Bivariate tests and multivariable regressions were used for analyses. Results: Less than 5% of those who voted for marijuana legalization would change their votes, whereas 14% of those who voted against legalization would change their votes. In multivariable models controlling for demographics, substance use, and marijuana-related opinions, those who voted for legalization had half the odds of changing their votes than those who voted against it. Among past-year nonmarijuana users, almost 10% were somewhat/very likely to use marijuana if they could buy it from a legal store. Past marijuana use, the belief that adults should be allowed to grow marijuana for personal use, and the belief that marijuana is not very risky for health were all related to increased likelihood of using marijuana purchased from legal stores. Conclusion: Since November 2012, support for marijuana legalization in Washington state has increased; accounting for the proportion of voters who would change their votes suggests that I-502 would pass today with even more votes in favor.

Maternal Marijuana Exposure and Birth Weight: An Observational Study Surrounding Recreational Marijuana Legalization

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (01) ◽  
pp. 065-075 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather L. Straub ◽  
Jin Mou ◽  
Kathryn J. Drennan ◽  
Bethann M. Pflugeisen
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Washington State ◽  
Urine Drug Screen ◽  
Multivariate Models ◽  
Marijuana Legalization ◽  
Urine Drug ◽  
Recreational Marijuana ◽  
Good Samaritan Hospital ◽  
Infant Birth ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Objective This study aimed to study the relationship between prenatal marijuana and infant birth weight using natural cohorts established before, during and after the 20-month lapse between legalization and legal recreational sales in Washington State. Study Design Over 5 years, 5,343 pregnant women with documented urine drug screen (UDS) results delivered at Tacoma General Hospital or Good Samaritan Hospital. Maternal medical data were extracted for three delivery cohorts established based on before (T1), during (T2), and after legalization (T3) of recreational marijuana and legalized availability. Univariate and multivariate models were created to study marijuana exposure on infants' birth weight. Results Marijuana exposure increased the risk of low birth weight (LBW; odds ratio [OR] = 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–2.01). This was more pronounced in full-term babies (OR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.10–2.69), and was independently associated with a higher risk for small for gestational age (SGA; OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.49–1.53). The associations between marijuana exposure and SGA were maintained in cohort-specific models (OR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.01–2.32 for T2, and OR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.01–2.02 for T3, respectively). Conclusion Marijuana exposure verified by UDS was associated with LBW and SGA. However, recreational marijuana legalization and availability did not have direct impact on newborns' risk of LBW or SGA.

The Spillover Effect of Recreational Marijuana Legalization on Crime: Evidence From Neighboring States of Colorado and Washington State

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 392-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangzhen Wu ◽  
Francis D. Boateng ◽  
Xiaodong Lang
Keyword(s):  
Spillover Effect ◽  
Property Crime ◽  
Washington State ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Difference In Differences ◽  
Ongoing Debate ◽  
Marijuana Legalization ◽  
Crime Type ◽  
Recreational Marijuana ◽  
Reduction Effect

An ongoing debate exists about the implications of recreational marijuana legalization to public safety. One important public concern is how recreational marijuana legalization may affect crime in neighboring states that have not legalized. Based on Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data from 2003 to 2017, this study used difference-in-differences (DID) analysis to examine the potential spillover effect of recreational marijuana legalization in Colorado and Washington State, with a special focus on the examination of the changes in the rates of a variety of crimes in the border counties of neighboring states relative to the nonborder counties in these states following Colorado’s and Washington’s legalization. Results provide some evidence suggesting a spillover crime reduction effect of legalization, as reflected by the significant decreases in the rates of property crime, larceny, and simple assault in the Colorado region that includes six neighboring states. Results also suggest that the effects of marijuana legalization on crime in neighboring states vary based on crime type and state.

Marijuana Use Among Justice-Involved Youths After California Statewide Legalization, 2015–2018

2020 ◽  
Vol 110 (9) ◽  
pp. 1386-1392
Author(s):  
Emily Kan ◽  
Jordan Beardslee ◽  
Paul J. Frick ◽  
Laurence Steinberg ◽  
Elizabeth Cauffman
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Marijuana Use ◽  
Marijuana Legalization ◽  
Recreational Marijuana ◽  
Time Periods ◽  
The Law ◽  
National Attitudes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Recreational Use

Objectives. To determine the impact of California’s recreational marijuana legalization on marijuana use among justice system–involved (JSI) adolescents and young adults, and to distinguish whether any changes resulted from legalization (passing the law) or from implementation of the law. Methods. We compared changes in JSI youths’ marijuana use in 2 states: California (n = 504), where recreational marijuana use was recently legalized, and Pennsylvania (n = 478), where recreational use is still prohibited. Furthermore, we examined changes in marijuana use across 3 key time periods (October 2015–June 2018): before legalization, after legalization but before implementation, and after implementation. Results. California JSI youths did not demonstrate a significant increase in marijuana use after legalization (b = −0.010; P = .950) or implementation (b = −0.046; P = .846). However, in Pennsylvania, rates of marijuana use increased significantly after legalization (b = 0.602; P = .001) but not after implementation (b = 0.174; P = .533). Conclusions. Although recreational marijuana legalization was not associated with changes in marijuana use among youths in California, we observed increased rates of use in Pennsylvania after legalization in California. Recreational marijuana laws may be indirectly related to youths’ marijuana use by supporting more permissive national attitudes toward marijuana.

scholarly journals Information, Misinformation, and Political Participation

2006 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 71-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth Michael White ◽  
Michael Binder ◽  
Richard Ledet ◽  
C. Richard Hofstetter
Keyword(s):  
Political Participation ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
San Diego ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Random Digit ◽  
Random Digit Dial ◽  
First Time ◽  
The Relationship

This research addresses the extent to which political participation is a function of misinformation. A large body of work links information with participation, but relatively few authors have addressed the relationship between misinformation and participation. We use data from a 1997 random-digit-dial survey of 810 adults in San Diego to test the hypothesis that misinformation (confident beliefs in false facts) is associated with political participation even after controlling for other explanations, including information. We find that while both misinformation and information tend to increase participation levels, their specific impacts vary. This research ends a period of speculation by presenting empirical evidence of misinformed participation for the first time in the literature.

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