Marijuana Legalization in Washington State: Baseline Consumption Estimates and a Progress Report

• In Event: Marijuana Legalization: Reports from the Frontlines

Abstract

In 2012, Washington state voters passed Initiative 502 (I-502), which removed the prohibition on the production, distribution, and possession of marijuana for nonmedical purposes and required the state to regulate and tax a new marijuana industry. Legalization of possession went into effect almost immediately, but the revolutionary aspect of the law — allowing businesses to openly produce and distribute commercial-scale quantities for nonmedical use — is expected to be fully implemented in mid-2014. Decisionmakers in Washington needed baseline information about the amount of marijuana that is consumed in the state for many reasons. For example, it is important for making informed decisions about the number of licenses to distribute, to accurately project tax revenues, and to provide a foundation for evaluations of I-502. This presentation describes the methods used to estimate the total weight of marijuana consumed in Washington in 2013. It also provides an update of what is happening with the commercial, medical, and illegal marijuana markets in Washington.

Author

• Beau Kilmer, RAND Corporation