Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Press Release: Research Confirms Legalizing Medical Marijuana Does Not Increase Crime



RESEARCH CONFIRMS LEGALIZING MEDICAL MARIJUANA DOES NOT INCREASE CRIME

Yet More Proof Fears of Legalization Remain Unfounded in Science

Researchers at the University of Texas Dallas published an article in PLOS ONE today that indicates that despite opponents’ fears, legalizing medical marijuana does not increase crime and may actually lower some types of violent crime. The study examined FBI Uniform Crime Report statistics on murder, rape, assault, robbery, burglary, larceny and auto theft from all 50 states, including 11 states that legalized medical marijuana during the course of the study, over a 17 year period from 1990-2006. Controlling for confounding factors, they found no increases in any category of offense and even saw a slight decrease in homicides and assaults.

The study is reminiscent of a University of Chicago study that came out last year showing that, despite opponents’ warnings about increases in unsafe driving behaviors, legalizing medical marijuana was associated with a drop in traffic fatalities. In addition, preliminary figures in Colorado and Washington, the two states to have legalized marijuana for recreational use, show traffic fatalities in those states have slightly decreased the first year of full legalization.

“It must be difficult to be an opponent of marijuana reform. They can’t make arguments against legalization based on logic and facts so they must constantly resort to fear-based hypotheticals and anecdotes that keep getting proved wrong by systematic study. I feel for them. I really do,” said Major Neill Franklin (Ret.), a police officer for 34 years who now heads Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, a group of law enforcement officials opposed to the war on drugs.


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Contact: Darby Beck: darby.beck@leap.cc 415.823.5496

4 comments:

  1. And this is a surprize why? As a youth I was bullied. Badly. I was afraid to go to school and my grades showed it. Getting slammed in the hallways, pencils jammed into your head during classes, threats of bodily harm daily... graduating HS was being released from prison. In the years that followed those bullies I had known that used pot became good people. Those that didn't or drank alcohol, several ended up committing murders as it actually turned out.

    Does marijuana promote or inspire violent behavior? If it does, that's news to me. If you've got a stash of gold coins that burglars want and they threaten you, is violence not routine for the person being threatened? Get real, marijuana is a commodity! It's not a machine gun, it's not rape or murder... it's a natural plant which is called an agricultural commodity. How does it get from there to "a cause for violence" when everyone knows alcohol is the drug that incites violence, and it's totally legal for adults?

    ReplyDelete
  2. The greatest service which can be rendered any country is to add a useful plant to its culture.
    - Thomas Jefferson

    Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth and protection of the country.
    - Thomas Jefferson

    And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree,
    - Genesis 1:29

    He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man:
    - Psalm 104:14

    We shall, by and by, want a world of hemp more for our own consumption.
    - John Adams

    Legalize Cannabis Freedom !

    ReplyDelete
  3. Why cannabis is illegal ...

    1) Some people have very little knowledge of the plant and are therefore irrationally scared of it.

    2) They like to lock people up and have an easy reason to do so.

    3) Evil people don't want the masses to have the medical benefits of cannabis and its cannabinoids and to be healthy.

    4) Cannabis hemp provides an alternative via bio fuels, cannabis oils, and many other products therefore reducing the need for crude oil and creating competition to petroleum products.

    5) Prohibition produces an underground monopoly on cannabis providing higher prices, bigger profits, and fewer competition to the cartels that sell it.

    6) They like to scar people's records with misdemeanors and felonies trying to make life harder for people.

    7) Prohibition provides big business for private prisons, lawyers, attorneys, police, judges, politicians, etc.

    8) Medical marijuana programs create another form of monopoly by limiting freedom. Money made on doctor vists, cannabis cards, they only allow dispensaries in certain areas causing some people to travel long distances, and they only allow a select few to operate dispensaries. They make you pay a fee upfront to get a cannabis card and make you see a doctor and pay to renew it every year.

    Evil people enforcing evil unjust laws.

    Legalize Cannabis Freedom !

    ReplyDelete

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