IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/anresc/v63y2019i1d10.1007_s00168-019-00931-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The short-run effects of marijuana dispensary openings on local crime

Author

Listed:
  • Jesse Burkhardt

    (Colorado State University)

  • Chris Goemans

    (Colorado State University)

Abstract

The recent legalization of marijuana in several states has led to increased public interest regarding the effect of legalization on crime. Yet, there is limited empirical evidence relating the legalization of marijuana use and distribution to criminal activity. This paper uses a difference-in-differences design to estimate the effect of marijuana dispensary openings on local crime rates in Denver, Colorado. We find that the opening of dispensaries actually decreases violent crime rates in above median income neighborhoods, an important finding in light of increased political debate surrounding legalization. We also find robust evidence that non-marijuana drug-related crimes decrease within a half-mile of new dispensaries but do not simultaneously increase within a half-mile to mile of new dispensaries, with one possible explanation being that legal marijuana sales and hard drug sales are local substitutes. Finally, in line with previous research, we find that vehicle break-ins increase up to a mile away from new dispensaries.

Suggested Citation

  • Jesse Burkhardt & Chris Goemans, 2019. "The short-run effects of marijuana dispensary openings on local crime," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 63(1), pages 163-189, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:anresc:v:63:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1007_s00168-019-00931-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s00168-019-00931-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00168-019-00931-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s00168-019-00931-0?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gary S. Becker, 1974. "Crime and Punishment: An Economic Approach," NBER Chapters, in: Essays in the Economics of Crime and Punishment, pages 1-54, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Terance Rephann, 2009. "Rental housing and crime: the role of property ownership and management," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 43(2), pages 435-451, June.
    3. Jeff Grogger & Michael Willis, 2000. "The Emergence Of Crack Cocaine And The Rise In Urban Crime Rates," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 82(4), pages 519-529, November.
    4. Chang, Tom Y. & Jacobson, Mireille, 2017. "Going to pot? The impact of dispensary closures on crime," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 120-136.
    5. Mark Thornton, 2004. "Prohibition vs. Legalization: Do Economists Reach a Conclusion on Drug Policy?," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 1(1), pages 82-105, April.
    6. Timothy M. Komarek, 2018. "Crime and natural resource booms: evidence from unconventional natural gas production," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 61(1), pages 113-137, July.
    7. Jeffrey Brinkman & David Mok-Lamme, 2017. "Not in My Backyard? Not So Fast. The Effect of Marijuana Legalization on Neighborhood Crime," Working Papers 17-19, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
    8. D. Mark Anderson & Benjamin Hansen & Daniel I. Rees, 2013. "Medical Marijuana Laws, Traffic Fatalities, and Alcohol Consumption," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 56(2), pages 333-369.
    9. Mark Thornton, 1994. "The economics of prohibition," Chapters, in: Peter J. Boettke (ed.), The Elgar Companion to Austrian Economics, chapter 51, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Eric L. Sevigny & Rosalie L. Pacula & Ariel M. Aloe & Danye N. Medhin & Jared Greathouse, 2021. "PROTOCOL: The effects of cannabis liberalization laws on health, safety, and socioeconomic outcomes: An evidence and gap map," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(1), March.
    2. Scott Callahan & David M. Bruner & Chris Giguere, 2021. "Smoke and Fears: The Effects of Marijuana Prohibition on Crime," Working Papers 21-12, Department of Economics, Appalachian State University.
    3. Sabia, Joseph J. & Dave, Dhaval & Alotaibi, Fawaz & Rees, Daniel I., 2024. "The effects of recreational marijuana laws on drug use and crime," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    4. Parisa Kavousi & Taylor Giamo & Gwen Arnold & Mateo Alliende & Elisabeth Huynh & Jaclyn Lea & Rachel Lucine & Alexandria Tillett Miller & Alana Webre & Aneka Yee & Adrianna Champagne‐Zamora & Keith Ta, 2022. "What do we know about opportunities and challenges for localities from Cannabis legalization?," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 39(2), pages 143-169, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Carrieri, Vincenzo & Madio, Leonardo & Principe, Francesco, 2019. "Light cannabis and organized crime: Evidence from (unintended) liberalization in Italy," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 63-76.
    2. Sabia, Joseph J. & Dave, Dhaval & Alotaibi, Fawaz & Rees, Daniel I., 2024. "The effects of recreational marijuana laws on drug use and crime," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    3. Carrieri, Vincenzo & Madio, Leonardo & Principe, Francesco, 2020. "Do-It-Yourself medicine? The impact of light cannabis liberalization on prescription drugs," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    4. Auriol, Emmanuelle & Mesnard, Alice & Perrault, Tiffanie, 2019. "Defeating Crime? An Economic Analysis of Cannabis Legalization Policies," CEPR Discussion Papers 13814, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    5. Edward M. Shepard & Paul R. Blackely, 2010. "Economics of Crime and Drugs: Prohibition and Public Policies for Illicit Drug Control," Chapters, in: Bruce L. Benson & Paul R. Zimmerman (ed.), Handbook on the Economics of Crime, chapter 10, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    6. d'Este, Rocco, 2022. "Scientific Advancements in Illegal Drugs Production and Institutional Responses: New Psychoactive Substances, Self-Harm, and Violence inside Prisons," IZA Discussion Papers 15248, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Desimone, Jeff, 2001. "The Effect of Cocaine Prices on Crime," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 39(4), pages 627-643, October.
    8. Steven D. Levitt, 2004. "Understanding Why Crime Fell in the 1990s: Four Factors that Explain the Decline and Six that Do Not," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 18(1), pages 163-190, Winter.
    9. Emeline Bezin & Thierry Verdier & Yves Zenou, 2022. "Crime, Broken Families, and Punishment," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 14(4), pages 723-760, November.
    10. Ekelund, Robert B. & Dorton, Cheryl, 2003. "Criminal justice institutions as a common pool: the 19th century analysis of Edwin Chadwick," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 271-294, March.
    11. Rohner, Dominic & Couttenier, Mathieu & Preotu, Veronica, 2016. "The Violent Legacy of Victimization: Post-Conflict Evidence on Asylum Seekers, Crimes and Public Policy in Switzerland," CEPR Discussion Papers 11079, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    12. Chu, Yu-Wei Luke & Townsend, Wilbur, 2019. "Joint culpability: The effects of medical marijuana laws on crime," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 502-525.
    13. Burlando, Alfredo & Motta, Alberto, 2016. "Legalize, tax, and deter: Optimal enforcement policies for corruptible officials," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 207-215.
    14. Badi H. Baltagi & Pallab K. Ghosh, 2019. "Partial Distributional Policy Effects Under Endogeneity," Sankhya B: The Indian Journal of Statistics, Springer;Indian Statistical Institute, vol. 81(1), pages 123-145, September.
    15. Bruijn, L. Michelle & Ribas, Rafael P., 2022. "“No drugs in my back yard:” The ambivalent reception of cannabis retailers," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 199(C), pages 103-121.
    16. Laura Chioda, 2017. "Stop the Violence in Latin America," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 25920.
    17. Anderson, D. Mark & Rees, Daniel I., 2021. "The Public Health Effects of Legalizing Marijuana," IZA Discussion Papers 14292, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    18. Andreyeva Elena & Ukert Benjamin, 2019. "The Impact of Medical Marijuana Laws and Dispensaries on Self-Reported Health," Forum for Health Economics & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 22(2), pages 1-20, December.
    19. Daniel J. D'Amico, 2008. "Tattoo Prohibition Behind Bars: The Case for Repeal," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 23(Spring 20), pages 113-134.
    20. Abrams, David S., 2021. "COVID and crime: An early empirical look," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • K10 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law - - - General (Constitutional Law)
    • K14 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law - - - Criminal Law
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • R50 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:anresc:v:63:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1007_s00168-019-00931-0. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.