The Impact of The Legalization of Marijuana in Colorado on Education Funding and Car Crash Rates

The objective of this thesis is to investigate the impact of marijuana legalization on the funding of education and car crash rates in the state of Colorado. Legalization has been a controversial topic, though marijuana has already been legalized in many states across the US. The tax revenues from marijuana are used in school funding, though the allocations have varied in different years. As we approach the impact that legalization has had on Colorado, it will be interesting to see if the newly allocated funds are supplementary or a replacement. The increased funding for education should lead to lower dropout rates and there is hope that new regulations will decrease youth use and overall car accidents. Using data driven statistics and regression analysis, I will examine the effect that legalization has had in Colorado on the funding of education and on car crash rates. Examining the process and effects that legalization has had on the state of Colorado is important in future decisions of legalization. After I have completed my study I will report my findings and analyze the results and their potential impact on future policy decisions