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Tens of thousands of people
were not arrested for
marijuana possession, the
state has collected nearly
$40 million in new tax
revenue, and almost $8
million has been allocated
to fund youth education and
drug prevention efforts. The
report of the US based
non-profit the Drug Policy
Alliance also gives us the
significant figures
regarding decrease in crime
rates, a decrease in traffic
fatalities, an increase in
tax revenue and an increase
in jobs and all since
January 1st 2014 when first
retail marijuana stores
opened.
Here are some of the
interesting highlights from
the report: Decrease in
Crime Rates - burglaries
in Denver decreased by 9.5%
and overall property crime
decreased by 8.9%; Tax
Revenue - tax revenue
from retail marijuana sales
amounted to $40.9 million
between January 2014 and
October 2014, not including
revenue from medical
marijuana and licenses and
fees. Colorado joint budget
committee set aside $2.5
million to
increase the number
of health professionals
in Colorado public
schools. Many of the |
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newly hired
health workers, including nurses
and social workers, will focus
on mental health support and on
programs to educate students
about drug use. Decrease in
Traffic Fatalities -
challenging claims that the
legalization of marijuana would
lead to an increase in traffic
fatalities, there opposite to
show: in the first 11 months of
2014, the state had 436 traffic
fatalities, a 3% drop from the
449 fatalities in the first 11
months of 2013. Youth
Prevention Efforts - the
state has allocated more than $8
million in retail marijuana tax
revenue for youth prevention and
education, mental health and
community based developmental
programs (read the full
report).
For the first time, on November
6, 2012, two American states
Colorado and Washington have
legalized the recreational use
and sale of marijuana, followed
by Oregon, Alaska and Washington
DC. Then it
took about a year to kick the
process of regulations and now
we hear the success stories not
only from Colorado. Still some
other states are already willing
to follow weed legalization. At
the same 2012 the full
legalization also took place in
Uruguay, bringing its president
José Mujica a Nobel peace prize,
who talked-about marijuana
legalization as a tool for peace
and understanding.
On June 2, 2013 the first
marijuana rally “2.06”
took place in Tbilisi which made
history, however country of
Georgia still makes no progress
regarding the change of cruel
and inhuman drug policy, but
opposite is happening: detaining and hunting
on youth and their families,
crime rate rising, fighting
against development and society,
which finally favors the black
market and causes the corruption.
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