The Relationship between Dispensaries, Policing, and Crime in Seattle

• In Event: Crime, Law and Deviance Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): 7: Neighborhoods and Crime

Abstract

In recent years, several states have reformed drug laws to enable the medicinal and recreational use of marijuana. As a result, marijuana dispensaries have emerged as a site of access for many consumers. While research suggests that the presence of dispensaries may be associated with local crime rates, few studies account for capable guardianship in the vicinity. We consider this by investigating the impact of police activity on the relationship between dispensaries and crime in Seattle, Washington. Our findings reveal that, even after controlling for a range of local factors related to crime rates, the presence of dispensaries in a neighborhood remains associated with higher crime rates, but this is only for some crime types. Importantly, we find that this effect is not demonstrably impacted when accounting for police stops in the vicinity.

Authors

• Burrel James Vann, San Diego State University

• Joshua Chanin, San Diego State University