In 2012, the states of Colorado and Washington were the first to legalize the use of recreational marijuana, with several others following suit in the years to come. As of writing, a total of eleven states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational marijuana.
With more states also looking into marijuana policy reform, there is a possibility of a 'legalization bandwagon' in the near future. As such, the general effects of widespread marijuana consumption are of increasing interest as policymakers scramble to gain a better understanding of the issue.
One key focus of the debate is how cannabis use affects crime rates. Pro-legalization advocates attest that the rate of violent crime decreases following legalization while the opposition claims that increased crime rates are tied to marijuana use.
The results of recent research have also been equally conflicting, and firm conclusions have yet to be drawn as to how cannabis use is connected to crime rates. Stronger and more comprehensive analysis of the situation is needed to help policymakers become more informed on the issue and assess the best course of action to take.
Researchers from Stockton University, Washington State University, and the University of Utah recently published their study in Justice Quarterly, which used robust research design to study the effects that cannabis legalization laws had on crime rates in both Washington and Colorado, as compared to other states that have not yet legalized marijuana.
The result is surprising: recreational cannabis laws have had no statistically significant long-term effect on both violent & property crime rates. In fact, there was even a significant decline in burglary rates reported in Washington.
While the authors of the study note that there were some abrupt increases in crime immediately following legalization, these failed to have a long-term effect on crime rates as a whole in both states.
However, the authors warn that recreational marijuana legalization does not necessarily translate to an increase in public safety. Aside from crime rates, several factors also contribute to public safety, such as public and mental health, and they need to be examined in further detail.
It is also important to note that the study primarily focused on serious and violent crimes. It is a possibility that cannabis legalization laws have a more pronounced effect on other types of crime, like marijuana-related DUIs, although this is outside the scope of the study.
Besides, the authors also note that the cannabis legalization laws may have variable effects on different communities within states and that future studies should examine these in more detail.
Nevertheless, the study has provided more insight and evidence that cannabis legalization doesn't have any significant effect on crime rates over the long-term. Studies like these, employing robust experimentation design, provide public officials with more concrete evidence and more definitive analysis with which to shape policy to be more effective.