Is Legal Pot Crippling Mexican Drug Trafficking Organisations? The Effect of Medical Marijuana Laws on US Crime

Bibliographic Data

ID9949643
AuthorsEvelina Gavrilova (0000-0002-9349-5422, NHH Norwegian School of Economics, corresponding author), Takuma Kamada (0000-0003-1278-6250, Pennsylvania State University), Floris Zoutman (0000-0003-3931-5643, NHH Norwegian School of Economics)
Year2017
Volume129
Issue617
Pages375-407
Publication date2017-06-09
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Economic Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0013-0133 • E-ISSN: 1468-0297
PublisherOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/ecoj.12521
OpenAlexW3123959109
LanguageEN
Citations received22
References cited24

We show that the introduction of medical marijuana laws (MMLs) leads to a decrease in violent crime in states that border Mexico. The reduction in crime is strongest for counties close to the border (less than 350 kilometres) and for crimes that relate to drug trafficking. In addition, we find that MMLs in inland states lead to a reduction in crime in the nearest border state. Our results are consistent with the theory that decriminalisation of the production and distribution of marijuana leads to a reduction in violent crime in markets that are traditionally controlled by Mexican drug trafficking organisations

Criminology · Distribution (mathematics · Drug · Drug trafficking · Illicit drug · Political science · Psychiatry · Sociology · State (computer science · Violent crime · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk · Law · Medicine

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