The first to legalise: demographic and spatial influences on Colorado Amendment 64

Abstract

Colorado was one of the first states in the US to legalise the personal use and possession of marijuana on 6 November 2012. Using various estimation techniques, the purpose of this study is to examine the possible demographic and spatial factors influencing the voting behaviour of Coloradans on the issue of recreational marijuana legalisation. After the inclusion of many variables of interest, spatial spillovers from neighbouring counties do not appear to have been responsible for the vote outcome, despite visual evidence suggesting otherwise. Party affiliation and the native Coloradan population composition of counties appear to be the driving forces on the margin behind the voting results of Amendment 64.