Marijuana legalisation paying off for Washington

It has been one year since the US state of Washington legalised the recreational use of marijuana and the change is paying off.

In only one year the state has made $70 million in tax revenue generated from marijuana sales.

In a report released by the Washington State Liquor Control Board the state is recorded as having sold $257 million of cannabis during the past 12 months.

A report filed by the Drug Policy Alliance claimed Washington’s crime levels had dropped dramatically since the legalisation of the drug.

Recreational marijuana was also legalised in Colorado but the state’s tax revenue on the product were lower than expected at $53 million.

This is largely due to an overestimation of how many people would stop buying the drug on the black market after its legalisation, CNN reported.

Medical patients also continued to buy their marijuana through medical dispensaries rather than recreational sellers.

The tax on medical marijuana is 2.9 percent as opposed to the 28 percent tax on recreational purchases.

Several other US states are expected to consider legalising the drug in the coming elections.