Officials and researchers from states that have legalized marijuana or are considering making the substance lawful met in Washington State this week to evaluate the impact of the legislation, reports the Washington Post. The conference drew lawmakers from the legal pot states of Washington, Colorado, Oregon and Alaska, as well as Vermont and California—states that may legalize the substance in the future.
Data being analyzed in Washington includes marijuana-involved traffic stops, marijuana-related calls to the state poison center and admissions to addiction treatment centers. Officials in Colorado are monitoring marijuana-related school suspensions, hospital room marijuana mentions, impaired driving cases and poison control calls.
Washington and Colorado boast a combined $500 million in legal marijuana sales, and tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue have flowed into state coffers as a result of the legislation.
