Crime Increases When Pot Shops Are Shut Down

In a recent study by the RAND corporation, researchers found that crime increased immediately after medical marijuana dispensaries were closed in the L.A. area. The study tracked crime reports for ten days before and after the shops were closed and found that crime increased by at 60% once the dispensary was no longer open. These findings directly conflict with the claims of law enforcement officials, who have argued that the stores attract crime by handling large sums of cash as well as drugs that thieves could sell on the street. After two workers were killed at dispensaries during June of 2011, the City Council passed a series of strict ordinances that caused many shops to close, thus prompting the study. There are several problems with the research based on the specific sample sizes. The study only checked crime reports within a six block radius around the dispensary and also only observed the ten days preceding and following the closings. For the findings to be more concrete, it would be necessary to take a sample over a larger time period.  Still, it sort of makes sense. Closing the store has to promote the sale of illegal marijuana, if only because dealers know they will have a market of newly alienated customers who already go to that location when they need pot. Also, it could just be that Bill Hicks was right and it's extremely hard to get mad at someone when you're both stoned. Perhaps the L.A. County Sheriff's Department failed to consider the calming effects of reefer and how pissed off customers might be when they can't buy more.