title: Lessons learned after three years of legalized, recreational marijuana: The Colorado experience.
abstract: In November 2012 Colorado voters approved legalized recreational marijuana. On January 1, 2014 Colorado became the first state to allow legal sales of non-medical marijuana for adults over the age of 21. Since that time, the state has been monitoring potential impacts on population health. In this paper we present lessons learned in the first three years following legal sales of recreational marijuana. These lessons pertain to health behaviors and health outcomes, as well as to health policy issues. Our intent is to share these lessons with other states as they face the prospect of recreational marijuana legalization.
authors.affiliation: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, CO 80246, United States; Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Laboratory Services Division, 8100 Lowry Boulevard, Denver, CO 80230, United States. Electronic address: Tista.ghosh@state.co.us.
authors.forename: Tista S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.affiliation: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, CO 80246, United States. Electronic address: Daniel.vigil@state.co.us.
authors.forename: Daniel I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Vigil
authors.affiliation: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, CO 80246, United States. Electronic address: Ali.maffey@state.co.us.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maffey
authors.affiliation: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, CO 80246, United States. Electronic address: Rickey.tolliver@state.co.us.
authors.forename: Rickey
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tolliver
authors.affiliation: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, CO 80246, United States. Electronic address: Mike.vandyke@state.co.us.
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Dyke
authors.affiliation: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, CO 80246, United States. Electronic address: Leo.kattari@state.co.us.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kattari
authors.affiliation: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Laboratory Services Division, 8100 Lowry Boulevard, Denver, CO 80230, United States. Electronic address: Heather.krug@state.co.us.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Krug
authors.affiliation: Colorado Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice, 700 Kipling Street, Suite 1000, Lakewood, CO 80215, United States. Electronic address: Jack.reed@state.co.us.
authors.forename: Jack K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.affiliation: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, CO 80246, United States; Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Laboratory Services Division, 8100 Lowry Boulevard, Denver, CO 80230, United States. Electronic address: Larry.wolk@state.co.us.
authors.forename: Larry
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wolk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002188:Cannabis; D003120:Colorado; D003132:Commerce; D062489:Health Impact Assessment; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007880:Legislation, Drug; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D011998:Recreation
keywords: Marijuana; Marijuana health behavior; Marijuana health policy; Marijuana legalization; Marijuana surveillance