Virtually with out exception, state lawmakers entertaining the thought of legalizing marijuana hear issues from people who find themselves satisfied that legalization will convey with it extra crime. Statistics are cited and anecdotal instances are reviewed. However are the issues justified? Research knowledge suggests they aren’t.
Quite a few stories appear to point that marijuana legalization has little to no influence on violent crime. Nevertheless, a lot of the research have one deadly flaw: they solely take a look at violent crime charges within the years earlier than and following marijuana legalization. They don’t really search for any direct hyperlinks between crime charges and legalized pot.
They Don’t Inform the Entire Story
In keeping with the Kansas Metropolis Star, a 2018 examine performed by researchers from Stockton College and Washington State College didn’t uncover any statistically important modifications in property and violent crimes following pot legalization in Washington and Colorado.
Likewise, a DOJ examine fee in 2020 decided there was no important distinction in violent crime charges between pot-friendly and prohibitionist states. A bigger examine performed by the Cato Institute checked out knowledge for the 9 years spanning 2012 to 2020. It revealed no important enhance or lower in violent crime charges following marijuana legalization.
Sadly, not one of the research inform the entire story. Evaluating crime charges throughout a few years actually solely tells you if crime will increase or decreases. It doesn’t point out why crime charges change. So whereas it doesn’t seem that legalized pot contributes to violent crime, that doesn’t imply it doesn’t contribute to different forms of crime.
Pot and Freeway Deaths
If we take a look at the legalized pot query from one other angle, we will see a starkly completely different outcome within the knowledge. For instance, a number of research have proven that marijuana consumption could also be contributing to larger loss of life charges on America’s roads. One examine cited by the Star exhibits the variety of fatally injured drivers testing constructive for marijuana jumped by 10 share factors in a decade. It was 8% in 2007 and 18% in 2016.
A examine in Washington state decided that the variety of deadly crashes involving THC-positive drivers doubled after marijuana was legalized there. A number of different research have proven comparable leads to completely different states.
Once more, the information appears to counsel that pot legalization makes the roads much less protected. However there are different components in play, components that the research don’t essentially account for. The very fact is that we will make assumptions however, till we do extra detailed analysis into cause-and-effect, we can’t say for positive.
Authorized Marijuana Is Right here to Keep
All of the analysis knowledge however, legalized marijuana is right here to remain. If a extremely conservative state like Utah may give the inexperienced mild to medical hashish, it is just a matter of time till the remaining holdouts states get in line. From there, the push can be to legalize leisure marijuana nationwide.
The homeowners of the Deseret Wellness medical hashish pharmacy in Park Metropolis, UT say that Utah lawmakers are useless set in opposition to leisure hashish of their state. However they have been additionally strongly against medical hashish when Proposition 2 handed in 2018. So who is aware of?
Opposition could turn into a moot level if federal lawmakers vote to decriminalize marijuana throughout the board. In such a case, states would most likely retain the fitting to control as they see match. However it’s arduous to think about that any state legislative our bodies would proceed insisting on a ban. Public opinion is simply too sturdy, and the tax revenues are too profitable to withstand.
As for crime, it seems as if legalized pot doesn’t make it worse. However then once more, research have been fallacious earlier than.