RT Article
T1 Cannabis in the capital: exploring the spatial association between medical marijuana dispensaries and crime
JF Journal of crime and justice
VO 43
IS 1
SP 1
OP 15
A1 Zakrzewski, Willliam J.Jr.
A2 Wheeler, Andrew P.
A2 Thompson, Andrew J.
LA English
YR 2020
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/177714762X
AB The legalization of medical marijuana remains a controversial policy. An important dimension of marijuana legalization is the siting of dispensaries and their influence on a surrounding community. Specifically, dispensaries, if they engender criminogenic opportunities via changes in routine activities, have the potential to increase crimes in the areas surrounding medicinal marijuana dispensaries (MMDs). Using a quasi-experimental design, we examine the relationship between MMDs and crime using micro-spatial units in a novel location. Street level geocoded crime data for violent and nonviolent crime patterns before and after the opening of MMD’s in Washington, D.C. Crime is analyzed with 100 m buffers around each dispensary and control location drawn from propensity score matching. Differences between crime rates pre- and postoperation are compared. With the exception of one location, crime decreased or remained constant in geographical areas following the opening of a dispensary. MMDs do not appear to have an immediate criminogenic effect. Implications for future research regarding potential confounding factors and data limitations are discussed.
K1 Micro places
K1 Crime
K1 propensity score matching
K1 Medical marijuana dispensaries
DO 10.1080/0735648X.2019.1582351