JSPES, Vol. 45, No. 1-2 (Spring-Summer 2020)
pp. 151-177

Fiscal and Health Effects of U.S. Marijuana Legislation at the State Level

Natalia Ermasova
Governors State University, Chicago

Public and academic interest in legalization of recreational marijuana is increasing after legalization campaigns in 2018.  This study describes state government experiences implementing marijuana laws. This article seeks to provide a snapshot of these experiences by a comparative analysis of marijuana tax revenues in Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia. The article provides a history of legalization of marijuana for medical and recreational use in different states, highlights how state legalization would affect the social sphere and what potential health effect this would have as well as the unintended consequences of marijuana laws at the state level in the United States.