An in-depth study from Leafly‘s Bruce Barcott and David Downs found dispensaries actually improve public safety, health, and property values. When the issue comes up for city and county votes, the discussion is often dominated by misinformation-based fears. In response, Leafly has released a PDF of the literature reviewed in the study.
Leafly
- The media company said its research team looked at 42 studies and “found that the broad body of published research suggests crime near licensed dispensaries has generally stayed flat or decreased. Teen cannabis use in legalization states has fallen since legalization. And property values near cannabis outlets generally are not affected or even rise.”
- Local bans tend to pop up in suburban and rural areas in the wake of state legalizations. A recurring theme at public meetings is fear that children will have greater access to the drug.
- Citing CBS, the report states that correlation and causation were often mixed up in Los Angeles. “Once medical cannabis became correlated with higher-crime areas, people quickly—and mistakenly—inferred that cannabis dispensaries cause crime.
