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Marijuana Use in Colorado

Colorado was the first state to legalize recreational Marijuana back in November of 2012. Now that five years have passed, researchers have been able to start to compile data about the effects of recreational marijuana across the state. The Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area released a report that looks at general use trends, the financial impact of legalization, as well as traffic and public health impact. Some statistics from the report include:

-15.9% of people were self-reported past-month marijuana users compared to the national average of 8.6%.

-People who visited a hospital due to marijuana use increased by 52% from 2012 to 2016.

-Traffic accidents related to marijuana use jumped from 11.43% in 2013 to 21.3% in 2017.

-Traffic deaths with drivers who tested positive for marijuana increased by 39% during the past four years, which equates to one person killed every 2 ½ days.

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