Guess what happens when marijuana is legalized? Not only do you not have to steal it, but it also makes your state tons of cash while dropping crime rates in every conceivable fashion. At least that’s what some stats are showing. Even though many Denver city officials, including Mayor Michael Hancock, fought pot legalization tooth and nail saying it would cause increases in petty crimes and even sexual assault, just three months after Colorado voters helped pass the legalization of marijuana, Denver is enjoying a 14.6% decrease in crime from the same time last year.
It’s all kinds of crime that has decreased, and not even all dispensaries were able to be up and running in Denver since January 1st due to regulatory hurdles and licensing issues still being sorted out. Property crime is down 14.6%. Violent crime is down 2.4%. It certainly doesn’t look like what opponents of Amendment 64 would have liked everyone to believe – that the streets would be full of violent hooligan, and legalizing weed would make the devil creep the streets of Denver.
Even Dr. Kevin A. Sabet, the former Obama drug policy advisor, warned that the feds would crack down on legal-weed states, and teenagers would drive around stoned out of their minds. Vote No On 64 issued fliers claiming it would damage children’s minds and kill people. It’s a moot point now, and the last laugh is on those who thought marijuana would make more criminals. It looks like medical marijuana users are feeling better, and recreational marijuana users are calm as clams. Though it hasn’t been too long since these changes occurred.
Read: Studies Reveal Marijuana Availability Decreases Crime
Guess what America – legalizing marijuana in your state won’t make more thugs, or gangs, and we likely won’t see grandma’s getting their hand bags stolen more often or six year olds smoking weed behind the high school bleachers. There is too much regulation, and as has been the case in other countries – legalizing drugs actually decreases violence. Don’t you want your police force focused on solving violent crimes, instead of wasting tax-payer money going after someone getting high in their living room, or minimizing seizures or treating cancer with the healing plant.
The following charts sourced from the Denver police department show clearly what legalizing Cannabis has done to crime levels. And what’s better than low crime rates? How about a projected $1 billion in marijuana sales that will translate into $100 million in revenue for the state of Colorado, according to budget projections by Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. The world stands in awe, and every other state should take notes. Reduce tax-payer money on crime and use tax-income from marijuana sales to build libraries and schools, heck even a new community park named ‘High Times’ would be apropos.
