Community
- Annual crime rates were declining in Colorado until 2012 when the trend began to reverse and steadily climb in 2013, including homicide (+7.4%), rape (+41.3%), other assaults (+3.6%), larceny (+2.3%) and auto theft (+3.8%).1
- According to the Denver District Attorney, Mitch Morrissey, crime in Denver has increased by 41% in 2015 including burglaries, aggravated assault, vehicle thefts, and homicide is at a 10-year high. 2
- Less than one-tenth of one percent of prisoners are incarcerated for marijuana possession with no prior convictions.3
- Only 6% of state prisoners are incarcerated for drug possession.3
- 8% of federal prisoners that were sentenced for drug offences were for drug trafficking, not drug possession. 3
- Fatal car crashes that involved marijuana tripled in the last ten years. 4
- Drugged driving puts everyone at risk: the driver, the passengers and those sharing the road. 5
- In 2005, a study showed that 45% of motorist pulled over for reckless driving (who were not impaired by alcohol) tested positive for marijuana.6
- The black market for marijuana has not disappeared in Colorado as anticipated. Marijuana is still sold on the streets because users don’t want to pay taxes.7 & 8
- You may think potential marijuana proceeds will fund schools, but they likely won’t. In Colorado, NO new schools have been built with marijuana tax proceeds.9
- Colorado Bureau of Investigation. 2016.
- Oregon Drug Summit. 2016.
- Office of National Drug Control Policy. 2016.
- Brady, Joanne E. and Li, Guohua. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2014.
- Drug Enforcement Administration. 2014.
- Office of National Drug Control Policy. 2016.
- Baca, R. The Cannabist. 2014
- Gurman, S. Associated Press. 2014.
- Barro, Josh. The New York Times. 2015.