Despite Fears, Legal Marijuana Doesn't Increase Crime

Legal marijuana in Colorado hasn't been shown to increase crime, despite concerns.

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Four months after Colorado's ongoing legal weed experiment went into effect, Denver's crime statistics are holding steady—and, in some cases, even decreasing

While opponents to legalization, such as Douglas County Sheriff David Weaver, had claimed the new policy would lead to more crime and underage use, it doesn't look like that is coming to pass. While it is true that legalizing weed hasn't eradicated illegal drug dealing, a new piece today on Vox reports that violent crime is in-line with last year's statistics, having dropped 2.4 percent compared to January and February of 2013. 

And property crime is down, too. Compared to the first two months of 2013, reports of robberies and stolen property are down 6.2 percent and 13 percent respectively. Burglaries and criminal mischief, on the other hand, rose by the small margin of 0.5 percent. 

While it's probably too early to tell if a decrease in crime will be an ongoing trend, the new statistics offer more evidence that legalization and decriminalization seem to be working. 

[via Vox]

RELATED: Newsflash: There's Still a Market for Illegal Weed in Colorado

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