Marijuana Legalization: Projected Revenues, Costs, and Effects on Price and Use in California

Video: RAND Congressional Briefing Series

Presenter

Beau Kilmer

Codirector, RAND Drug Policy Research Center

Over the last year, the California State Legislature has considered legalizing, regulating, and taxing marijuana. Governor Schwarzenegger called for a debate on the issue, the Assembly's Committee on Public Safety held a hearing in October 2009, two marijuana reform bills were introduced in 2010, and an initiative has qualified for the November 2010 ballot.

This briefing will include

  • a discussion of marijuana reform efforts in California
  • highlights of the considerable uncertainty surrounding projections of the effect of legalization on consumption and public budgets
  • insights based on objective, science-based information to inform the fractious debate.

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