Marijuana legalization and racial disparities in prison incarceration in Colorado and Washington State: a quasi-experimental study

Objectives This study examines the impact of recreational marijuana legalization on Black-White disparities in overall prison incarceration and drug-related prison incarceration in Colorado (CO) and Washington State (WA). Methods We employ a quasi-experimental research design via a matching approach using the synthetic control method (SCM) as well as the difference-in-differences (DiD) method, using data from the National Corrections Reporting Program (NCRP) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s state population estimates from 2006 to 2018. Results Our findings suggest that recreational marijuana legalization in these two legalized states is not associated with sizable and significant decreases in Black-White disparities in overall prison incarceration rates or drug-related prison incarceration rates over the post-legalization period, relative to the nonlegalized states. Conclusions Recreational marijuana in CO and WA has had a limited impact on lessening racial inequality in imprisonment.