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Closing medical marijuana dispensaries increases crime, according to new study

DocTim420

The Doctor is OUT and has moved on...
So, according to this research, retail businesses are effective in lowering crime, even when that retail business is a medical marijuana dispensary. Maybe every city that argues marijuana dispensaries are crime magnets ought to read this study escholarship.org/uc/item/97r97669.pdf.

Jurisdictions that sanction medical or, more recently, recreational marijuana use
often allow retail sales at dispensaries. Dispensaries are controversial as many believe
they contribute to local crime.
To assess this claim, we analyze the short-term mass
closing of hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles. Contrary to
popular wisdom, we find an immediate increase in crime around dispensaries ordered
to close relative to those allowed to remain open.
The increase is specific to the type
of crime most plausibly deterred by bystanders, and is correlated with neighborhood
walkability. We find a similar pattern of results for temporary restaurant closures due
to health code violations.
A likely common mechanism is that\eyes upon the street"
deter some types of crime.

Ahh, same crime rate as restaurants and it increases when both are closed involuntarily.
 
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