In November 2012, Washington State voters passed Initiative 502 to regulate and tax the use and sale of cannabis for persons twenty-one years of age and older. As part of I-502, WSIPP was directed to “conduct cost-benefit evaluations of the implementation” of the law. The evaluations must include measures of impacts on public health, public safety, cannabis use, the economy, the criminal justice system, and state and local costs and revenues.

Previous Work
A preliminary report was released in September 2015. The second required report was released in September 2017, and the third required report was released in September 2023. The last mandated report is due in 2032.

Supplemental to the ongoing benefit-cost evaluation of cannabis legalization authorized by Initiative 502 in 2012, the 2018 Washington State Legislature directed WSIPP to conduct additional cannabis research. WSIPP was directed to update its inventory of programs for the prevention and treatment of youth cannabis use; examine current data collection methods measuring the use of cannabis by youth and potential ways to improve on these methods; and identify effective methods used to reduce or eliminate the unlicensed cultivation or distribution of marijuana in jurisdictions with existing legal marijuana markets.

A third required report covered the following topics: reported substance use, cannabis-related convictions, traffic fatalities, and substance use disorder diagnoses.

In 2023, we published an interim report related to cannabis retail access and high school outcomes.

Recent Work
The Impact of Cannabis Retail Availability on Cannabis and Mental Health Outcomes Among Medicaid Recipients in Washington State published in September 2025, in this study, we explore the relationship between licensed cannabis retail availability in Washington State and healthcare outcomes related to cannabis use disorder (CUD) and mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, bipolar, and psychotic disorders.

Current Work
Current ongoing work in service of our long-term benefit-cost evaluation of I-502 explores topics related to child welfare and workplace safety.

WSIPP is conducting a review of the effectiveness and benefit-cost outcomes of treatment programs focused on infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) and perinatal mental health (PMH). This work is being conducted under a contract approved by WSIPP’s Board of Directors with the Washington State Health Care Authority.

The final report, expected in June 2027, will summarize evidence on the effectiveness of 12–14 IECMH and PMH programs, present benefit-cost findings where evidence is available, and describe key program characteristics.

The 2025 Legislature passed a study to evaluate potential cost savings for the state of Washington if legally responsible individuals, such as parents, are allowed to serve as paid caregivers for their developmentally disabled children. The Washington State Institute for Public Policy will lead the study, with required cooperation from the Office of the State Actuary, the Department of Social and Health Services, the Health Care Authority, and the Department of Children, Youth, and Families to ensure access to necessary data and resources. The study will, to the extent possible, quantify cost savings from reduced reliance on entitlement programs, decreased use of hospitals, foster care, and residential facilities, and any likely additional savings related to this policy.

An initial report is published on WSIPP's website. A final report is due by November 15, 2026.

The legislature recognizes that Washington State agencies face limited electronic access to peer-reviewed journals, often requiring staff to purchase individual articles, outsource searches, or visit libraries—resulting in inefficient and costly use of state resources. Observing that other states have improved access and reduced costs through statewide journal subscription models, the 2025 Legislature tasked WSIPP with exploring whether a similar approach would benefit Washington. This study will examine potential funding options, organizational structures, and mechanisms for providing state employees with electronic access to academic, scholarly, and scientific peer-reviewed journals.

The report is due to the legislature by June 30, 2026.

WSIPP is partnering with the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner to evaluate the monetary benefits and costs of selected obesity treatments. Using a meta-analytic approach, WSIPP will assess the effectiveness of interventions such as bariatric surgery, FDA-approved weight-loss medications (GLP-1s), and behavioral or lifestyle programs. The analysis will translate impacts on outcomes like obesity, weight loss, and diabetes into monetary terms using WSIPP’s benefit–cost model, providing policymakers with clear, evidence-based insights.

The project will be completed in September 2026.

The 2024 Washington State Legislature directed WSIPP, in collaboration with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Health Care Authority (HCA), to study the current landscape of emergency medical services (EMS) in Washington. The study aims to evaluate the current EMS landscape and explore how other states fund or have considered funding EMS through federal, state, or local government.

WSIPP’s study includes examining trends in the number and types of EMS available, the volume of 911 responses, and the volume of interfacility transports provided by EMS organizations. Trends will be examined over time and across counties in Washington. Our study will also estimate the projected need for EMS services over the next two years.

Furthermore, WSIPP’s study will identify geographic disparities in EMS access, specifically noting areas without access to EMS services within a 25-minute average response time. WSIPP is also tasked with estimating the costs required to address gaps in EMS coverage and ensure timely access to services statewide.

In addition, the study will investigate models for EMS used by other states and review existing research and literature on EMS funding strategies.

To inform its findings, WSIPP will engage with EMS organizations, local governments, hospitals, labor organizations representing EMS personnel, and other relevant stakeholders identified by WSIPP and DOH, HCA, and the Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A report is due to DOH and the legislature by June 1, 2026.

The 2021 Washington State Legislature directed WSIPP to evaluate the Guided Pathways Model. Guided Pathways is a community and technical college reform that aims to improve student experience and outcomes through changes to academic program structure, advising, instruction, and progress monitoring.

WSIPP’s preliminary report will review the implementation of the Guided Pathways Model in Washington and any available evidence of the effectiveness of the Guided Pathways Model. If possible, this report will also evaluate the effect of the Guided Pathways Model on early student outcomes, including, but not limited to, student retention and persistence, college-level English and math within the first year, graduation and transfer rates. The preliminary report can be found here.

A final report will evaluate the effect of Guided Pathways on longer-term student outcomes including, but not limited to, degree completion, time to degree, transfer to four-year institutions, employment, and earnings, to the extent possible. The final report is due in December 2029.

There is ongoing interest in addressing chronic absenteeism in Washington schools and identifying effective strategies to improve student attendance. This project will investigate which attendance interventions are effective in reducing chronic absenteeism among K–12 students , whether certain approaches work better for specific student populations or grade levels, and whether the benefits of implementing certain interventions outweigh their costs. It will also examine if school-level characteristics like grade-level, income status, mental health indicators, and school climate influence school-wide absenteeism rates.

The study will be published by June 30, 2026.

The Washington State Institute for Public Policy was directed by the 2025 Legislature to develop an inventory of evidence-based and research-based policies and programs aimed at reducing impaired driving and its associated fatalities and serious injuries. In consultation with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission and other relevant entities, WSIPP must compile national and international research related to three specific policy areas: lowering the legal blood alcohol concentration from 0.08, implementing sobriety checkpoints, and increasing enforcement and penalties for impaired driving. WSIPP will publish a report detailing the projected costs and benefits of these policies and programs, including a comparative assessment of their effectiveness. The report may also offer recommendations for future research.

The inventory will be published by June 30, 2026.