Marijuana Dispensaries and Neighborhood Crime and Disorder in Denver, Colorado

The Spillover Effect of Recreational Marijuana Legalization on Crime: Evidence From Neighboring States of Colorado and Washington State

“…Extending the literature on the crime-inducing effects of marijuana use are studies that have gone beyond individual-level effects to examine neighborhood effects. These studies have assessed the presence of marijuana dispensaries and outlets on neighborhood crime rates and have generally observed a positive relationship (Contreras, 2017;Freisthler et al, 2016Freisthler et al, , 2017Hughes et al, 2020. According to these studies, a higher density of marijuana outlets or dispensaries may increase both violent and property crimes.…”

“…For instance, Freisthler and her colleagues (2017) examined the effect of the density of recreational marijuana dispensaries on crime in Denver, Colorado, and found a positive association between the density of marijuana outlets and the property crime rate in spatially adjacent areas, though such a relationship was not observed for local areas where the outlets operated. In another study examining the impact of both medical and recreational marijuana outlets on crime, Hughes et al (2020) found that both types of marijuana outlets were positively related to increases in rates of a variety of crimes and neighborhood disorder in Denver. As scholars have reasoned, the criminogenic effect of recreational marijuana dispensaries is largely attributable to the fact that marijuana sale is a cash-and-carry business, which exposes both the business and customers to criminal victimization (Freisthler et al, 2017;Lu et al, 2019).…”

“…As a summary of the research findings, overall, available empirical evidence about the relationship between marijuana and crime is mixed. Although some studies have found positive effects of marijuana legalization on crime rates (Freisthler et al, 2016;Hughes et al, 2020), arguing that legalization increases criminal activities, others have made contrary arguments, pointing to the buffering effects of such legalization on crime (Morris et al, 2014;Shepard & Blackley, 2016). These mixed results suggest the need for further examination of the proposed relationship between marijuana legalization and crime.…”

“…Other states considering legalization need more empirical evidence based on methodologically sound research to guide those decisions. However, a review of literature suggests studies examining the impact of recreational marijuana legalization on crime are still very limited (Brinkman & Mok-Lamme, 2019;Dragone et al, 2019;Freisthler et al, 2017;Hao & Cowan, 2020;Hughes et al, 2020;Lu et al, 2019;Makin et al, 2019). Notably, although there is growing scholarly attention paid to legalization's effects on crime-related outcomes in the states that have legalized, with an emphasis on Colorado and Washington State-the two states that first legalized marijuana for recreational use-research examining how legalization affects crime in neighboring states (states that have not legalized recreational marijuana but share borders with legalized states) is very rare.…”

Violence and Cannabis Use: A Focused Review of a Forgotten Aspect in the Era of Liberalizing Cannabis

“…A few scholars have recently found results showing that legalizing recreational cannabis may increase violence. Hughes et al (96) assessed the relationship between both medical as well as recreational cannabis dispensaries and yearly neighborhood crime in Denver between 2012 and 2015, including the two-year period immediately following commencement of legal retail sales in January 2014. This was examined by controlling for correlates of neighborhood crime, including socioeconomic disadvantage and the concentration of high-risk commercial establishments.…”