(1) The Washington state institute for public policy shall conduct cost-benefit evaluations of the implementation of chapter 3, Laws of 2013. A preliminary report, and recommendations to appropriate committees of the legislature, shall be made by September 1, 2015, and the first final report with recommendations by September 1, 2017. Subsequent reports shall be due September 1, 2022, and September 1, 2032.
(2) The evaluation of the implementation of chapter 3, Laws of 2013 shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, consideration of the following factors:
(a) Public health, to include but not be limited to:
(i) Health costs associated with marijuana use;
(ii) Health costs associated with criminal prohibition of marijuana, including lack of product safety or quality control regulations and the relegation of marijuana to the same illegal market as potentially more dangerous substances; and
(iii) The impact of increased investment in the research, evaluation, education, prevention and intervention programs, practices, and campaigns identified in RCW 69.50.363 on rates of marijuana-related maladaptive substance use and diagnosis of marijuana-related substance use disorder, substance abuse, or substance dependence, as these terms are defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders;
(b) Public safety, to include but not be limited to:
(i) Public safety issues relating to marijuana use; and
(ii) Public safety issues relating to criminal prohibition of marijuana;
(c) Youth and adult rates of the following:
(i) Marijuana use;
(ii) Maladaptive use of marijuana; and
(iii) Diagnosis of marijuana-related substance use disorder, substance abuse, or substance dependence, including primary, secondary, and tertiary choices of substance;
(d) Economic impacts in the private and public sectors, including but not limited to:
(i) Jobs creation;
(ii) Workplace safety;
(iii) Revenues; and
(iv) Taxes generated for state and local budgets;
(e) Criminal justice impacts, to include but not be limited to:
(i) Use of public resources like law enforcement officers and equipment, prosecuting attorneys and public defenders, judges and court staff, the Washington state patrol crime lab and identification and criminal history section, jails and prisons, and misdemeanant and felon supervision officers to enforce state criminal laws regarding marijuana; and
(ii) Short and long-term consequences of involvement in the criminal justice system for persons accused of crimes relating to marijuana, their families, and their communities; and
(f) State and local agency administrative costs and revenues.
[ 2013 c 3 § 30 (Initiative Measure No. 502, approved November 6, 2012).]
NOTES:
Intent—2013 c 3 (Initiative Measure No. 502): See note following RCW 69.50.101.