Since the legalization of recreational marijuana occurred in Colorado, politicians, academics, and the public have been paying close attention to what impact, if any, the legalization of recreational marijuana has on crime, substance use and abuse, and state revenue gains. However, research has not identified the potential impact that marijuana legalization has had on law enforcement officers in neighboring states. This study used survey methodology to explore how the legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado has affected law enforcement officers and their duties in states that border Colorado. Using multistage cluster sampling, municipal police departments and sheriff’s offices in Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming were selected for inclusion in this study based off their proximity to Colorado and because none had legalized either medical or recreational marijuana at the time of this study. Results indicate that law enforcement officers view Colorado’s legalization of recreational marijuana as having a negative impact on their enforcement duties. Respondents note an increase in potency, perceived juvenile use, and strain on their resources as major issues they are now having to deal with. Analysis indicates that departments further away from Colorado perceive less of an impact than counties closer to Colorado’s border. Compared with Nebraska and Kansas, respondents from Wyoming perceived a larger impact on enforcement, but these differences were diminished when controlling for personal perceptions of marijuana.

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大麻合法化对科罗拉多州周边国家执法的影响

自从娱乐大麻的合法化在科罗拉多州发生以来，政客，学者和公众一直密切关注娱乐大麻的合法化对犯罪，毒品使用和滥用以及国家收入增加的影响（如果有）。但是，研究尚未确定大麻合法化对邻国执法人员的潜在影响。这项研究使用调查方法来探讨科罗拉多州休闲大麻的合法化如何影响执法人员及其在与科罗拉多州接壤的州的职责。使用多阶段整群抽样，内布拉斯加州堪萨斯州的市政警察部门和警长办公室 由于怀俄明州和怀俄明州与科罗拉多州接近，因此他们被选入这项研究，因为在本研究进行时，没有一家将大麻合法化或将其合法化。结果表明，执法人员认为科罗拉多州将休闲大麻合法化对他们的执法职责有负面影响。受访者指出，效能的提高，青少年的使用感以及对资源的紧张是他们现在必须处理的主要问题。分析表明，距离科罗拉多州较远的部门所受到的影响要小于靠近科罗拉多州边界的县。与内布拉斯加州和堪萨斯州相比，怀俄明州的受访者认为对执法的影响更大，但是在控制个人对大麻的认知时，这些差异有所减少。