PULLMAN, Wash. — A new study from Washington State University finds crime rates haven’t changed much since marijuana was legalized in Washington and Colorado.
Researchers used statistics sent to the FBI over a 20-year period.
The Spokesman Review reports data showed violent and property crime stayed about on par with the average of states that prohibited marijuana, but less serious offenses and DUIs were not part of the FBI’s reporting system, so it’s not clear if there were any substantial changes there.
An author of the report says the data doesn’t answer long-term questions, but it does show that “at a minimum, the sky isn’t falling.”