First Comprehensive Study about CO Legalization Released

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Section 1 – Impaired Driving:
• Traffic fatalities involving operators testing positive for marijuana have
increased 100 percent from 2007 to 2012.
• The majority of driving-under-the-influence-of-drugs arrests involve marijuana
and 25 to 40 percent were marijuana alone.
• Toxicology reports with positive marijuana results for driving under the
influence have increased 16 percent from 2011 to 2013.

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Section 2 – Youth Marijuana Use:
• In 2012, 10.47 percent of youth ages 12 to 17 were considered current marijuana
users compared to 7.55 percent nationally. Colorado, ranked 4th in the nation,
was 39 percent higher than the national average.
• Drug-related suspensions/expulsions increased 32 percent from school years
2008/2009 through 2012/2013. The vast majority were for marijuana violations.
Section 3 – Adult Marijuana Use:
• In 2012, 26.81 percent of college age students (ages 18 – 25 years) were
considered current marijuana users compared to 18.89 percent nationally.
Colorado, ranked 3rd in the nation, was 42 percent higher than the national
average.
• In 2012, 7.63 percent of adults ages 26 and over were considered current
marijuana users compared to 5.05 percent nationally. Colorado, ranked 7th in the
nation, was 51 percent higher than the national average.
• In 2013, 48.4 percent of Denver adult arrestees tested positive for marijuana
which is a 16 percent increase from 2008.
Section 4 – Emergency Room Marijuana Admissions:
• From 2011 through 2013, there was a 57 percent increase in marijuana-related
emergency room visits.
• Hospitalizations related to marijuana have increased 82 percent from 2008 to
2013.
• In 2012, the City of Denver rate for marijuana-related emergency visits was 45
percent higher than the rate in Colorado

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Section 8 – Diversion by Parcel:
• U.S. Mail parcel interceptions, with Colorado marijuana destined for 33 other
states, increased 1,280 percent from 2010 to 2013.
• U.S. Mail pounds of Colorado marijuana seized, destined for 33 other states,
increased 762 percent from 2010 to 2013.
Section 9 – THC Extraction Labs:
• In 2013, there were 12 THC extraction lab explosions and in the first half of 2014
the amount more than doubled.
• In 2013, there were 18 injuries from THC extraction labs and in the first half of
2014 there were 27 injuries.
Section 10 – Related Data:
• Overall, crime in Denver increased 6.7 percent from the first six months of 2013
to the first six months of 2014.
• The number of pets poisoned from ingesting marijuana has increased four-fold
in the past six years.
• Colorado estimates for annual revenue from the sale of recreational marijuana
varies from $65 million (.6 percent of all expected general fund revenue) to $118
million (1.2 percent of all expected general fund revenue)
• The majority of counties and cities in Colorado have banned recreational
marijuana businesses
• THC potency has risen from an average of 3.96 percent in 1995 to an average of
12.33 percent in 2013

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