Insights About Marijuana Legalization in the United States

In this January 2015 Congressional Briefing, RAND researchers Beau Kilmer and Jonathan Caulkins present an overview of, Considering Marijuana Legalization: Insights for Vermont and Other Jurisdictions. The authors discussed:

  • The current landscape of marijuana policy in the U.S. and abroad;
  • The various options available to jurisdictions considering alternatives to marijuana prohibition (e.g., while the for-profit commercial model receives most of the attention in the United States, it is not the only approach and it may not be the best);
  • How much money Vermont could earn from legalizing marijuana and what it could mean for the Northeast;
  • How the federal-state conflict over marijuana can affect policy choices.

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  • Customers shop for "Green Friday" deals in Denver, Colorado, November 28, 2014

    Insights for Vermont and Other States Considering Marijuana Legalization

    If Vermont chooses to remove its prohibition on producing and selling marijuana, lawmakers will have many choices to make about who will supply it, who can buy it, if and how it will be taxed, and how it will be regulated. There are pros and cons to all policy options as well as uncertainty about how different forms of legalization will affect public health and safety.