Marijuana Legalization In New Jersey: Early Impacts on Community-Level Crime and Beliefs

• In Event: Poster Session II

Abstract

New Jersey, though dissimilar from many states that legalized marijuana, has recently adopted legislation that will have a largely similar effect on drug policy. The proposed set of projects will seek to contemporaneously examine how this policy shift changes crime rates in three ways: (1) a descriptive analysis of arrests for marijuana possession across the state before and after legalization, (2) a comparison of how crime rates after the reform change in Camden (NJ) as compared to contiguous Philadelphia (PA), where recreational marijuana remains illegal, and (3) a survey of attitudes towards marijuana usage held by law enforcement and community members. These analyses will provide a foundation for an evidence-based assessment for New Jersey reform and create a relevant comparison for similarly-oriented jurisdictions.Since 2012, a handful of states have passed similar legislation (See NCAL, 2020), yet rigorous empirical research has lagged. Critics at the time suggested that the legislation would exacerbate existing social problems such as substance dependence and street crime (Berenson, 2019). Perceptions and data on the rates of various crimes and community conditions due to legalization remain limited. The DID design addresses selection bias by using longitudinal data where Philadelphia would serve as the comparator for Camden.

Authors

• Orgelys Vasquez, Rutgers University

• Nate Link, Rutgers University, Camden

• Jordan Hyatt, Drexel University

• Kathleen Powell, Drexel University