Abstract
With the passage of Amendments 20 (2000) and 64 (2012), Colorado legalized the medicinal and recreational use of marijuana. Nebraskan law enforcement in border counties subsequently reported increases in arrests and reductions in jail space. In response, the Nebraska state legislature passed LR-520 to study the potential increased costs incurred by criminal justice agencies in border counties. To investigate this situation, we compare trends in drug arrests and jail occupancy across three areas: border counties, those that contain Interstate 80 (I-80) as a major transportation route, and the remaining counties in the state of Nebraska from 2000 through 2013. We found that border counties, but not necessarily those along the I-80 corridor, experienced significant growth in marijuana-related arrests and jail admissions after the expansion of the medical marijuana program in Colorado. Implications for research and policy are discussed.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 847-865 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Criminal Justice Policy Review |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 1 2017 |
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Keywords
- criminal justice policy
- drug enforcement
- policy implications
- research and policy
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Law
Cite this
Borders Up in Smoke : Marijuana Enforcement in Nebraska After Colorado’s Legalization of Medicinal Marijuana. / Ellison, Jared M.; Spohn, Ryan E.
In: Criminal Justice Policy Review, Vol. 28, No. 9, 01.12.2017, p. 847-865.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Borders Up in Smoke
T2 - Marijuana Enforcement in Nebraska After Colorado’s Legalization of Medicinal Marijuana
AU - Ellison, Jared M.
AU - Spohn, Ryan E.
PY - 2017/12/1
Y1 - 2017/12/1
N2 - With the passage of Amendments 20 (2000) and 64 (2012), Colorado legalized the medicinal and recreational use of marijuana. Nebraskan law enforcement in border counties subsequently reported increases in arrests and reductions in jail space. In response, the Nebraska state legislature passed LR-520 to study the potential increased costs incurred by criminal justice agencies in border counties. To investigate this situation, we compare trends in drug arrests and jail occupancy across three areas: border counties, those that contain Interstate 80 (I-80) as a major transportation route, and the remaining counties in the state of Nebraska from 2000 through 2013. We found that border counties, but not necessarily those along the I-80 corridor, experienced significant growth in marijuana-related arrests and jail admissions after the expansion of the medical marijuana program in Colorado. Implications for research and policy are discussed.
AB - With the passage of Amendments 20 (2000) and 64 (2012), Colorado legalized the medicinal and recreational use of marijuana. Nebraskan law enforcement in border counties subsequently reported increases in arrests and reductions in jail space. In response, the Nebraska state legislature passed LR-520 to study the potential increased costs incurred by criminal justice agencies in border counties. To investigate this situation, we compare trends in drug arrests and jail occupancy across three areas: border counties, those that contain Interstate 80 (I-80) as a major transportation route, and the remaining counties in the state of Nebraska from 2000 through 2013. We found that border counties, but not necessarily those along the I-80 corridor, experienced significant growth in marijuana-related arrests and jail admissions after the expansion of the medical marijuana program in Colorado. Implications for research and policy are discussed.
KW - criminal justice policy
KW - drug enforcement
KW - policy implications
KW - research and policy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85032726436&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85032726436&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0887403415615649
DO - 10.1177/0887403415615649
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85032726436
VL - 28
SP - 847
EP - 865
JO - Criminal Justice Policy Review
JF - Criminal Justice Policy Review
SN - 0887-4034
IS - 9
ER -