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Education Dive
Denver after-school program receives $1.5M from marijuana tax revenue
Shawna De La Rosa
Dec. 2, 2019
Dive Brief:
The Denver Afterschool Alliance receives $1.5 million a year from the
city's collected marijuana tax revenue, Chalkbeat reports, with the
city last year collecting a reported $46 million in such revenues
overall.
The additional funds have allowed for more after-school and summer
learning programs, as well as expansion into underserved neighborhoods
by providing more training for staff.
Part of the funds were also used to create a curriculum around
marijuana use, including its negative effects, myths and legal age of
recreational use, with the goal of informing students of the risks and
dangers associated with marijuana around the age that many try the
substance for the first time.
Dive Insight:
In states where marijuana has been legalized, the effects are a
double-edged sword. While marijuana tax revenue is often channeled
toward education in the form of funds, educators worry the use of those
funds sends a mixed message to students.
For example, marijuana sales in California are expected to bring in
more than $1 billion in tax revenue annually, with a portion to be
spent on youth education, prevention and early intervention programs.
But Wesley Smith, executive director of California School
Administrators, says organization members are concerned legalization
may normalize marijuana and encourage students to use it.
Despite this concern, recent studies show cannabis use is down among
teens who live in marijuana-friendly states. While medical marijuana
laws appeared to have no influence on teen use, states in which
recreational marijuana was legalized saw an 8% decline in the odds
teens reported trying cannabis in the previous 30 days and a 9%
decrease in teens reporting frequent use.
Colorado lawmakers recently passed a bill increasing the amount of
money allocated for the Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) Act,
from $100 million to $105 million for state fiscal year 2019-20 and to
$110 million for following state fiscal years.
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