The adoption of state-specific cannabis legalization laws is associated with significant declines in drug-related arrests and disciplinary incidents on college campuses, according to newly published data in the journal Economic Letters.
Researchers affiliated with Western Carolina University in North Carolina and Indiana University in Bloomington assessed trends in drug-related incidents on college campuses following the enactment of adult-use marijuana legalization laws.
Investigators identified significant declines in both drug-related arrests and disciplinary incidents – with four-year residential campuses experiencing the most dramatic declines.
“State-level legalization of recreational marijuana in the United States raised concerns about potential adverse impacts on campus drug use and drug law violations,” the study’s authors concluded. “We find that state legalization of recreational marijuana substantially reduced the arrests and disciplinary incidents for drug law violations. … The decreases in arrests after legalization are especially steep at public institutions, four-year institutions, and higher-crime-rate institutions. Additional research exploring these differences could shed light on underlying changes in police employment and focus.”
Separate data published earlier this year in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine similarly reported that rates of school disciplinary incidents involving cannabis fell in Massachusetts following the adoption of adult-use legalization.
Commenting on the findings, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: “Fewer arrests and disruptions on college campuses equates to more productive learning environments and higher graduation rates. These findings reaffirm that adult-use marijuana markets can be successfully regulated in a manner the promotes greater public health and safety for both consumers and non-consumers alike.”
The full text of the study, “Impact of legalization of recreational marijuana on drug law violations: Evidence from US colleges and universities,” appears in Economic Letters.
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