One month ago we ran the report, “3 months in: No increase in Denver crime.” It showed level crime stats in Denver as legal marijuana sales began in Colorado — the quiet reality in the face of critics saying legal pot would send crime skyrocketing.
With another month under our belt the statistical trends are looking the same.
As revenues, taxes and fees from the sales of recreational marijuana continue to rise — “Colorado sold nearly $19 million worth of recreational pot in March, up from about $14 million worth of recreational pot in February” — crime in Denver, the state’s marijuana hub, is on the decline.
According to an analysis of Denver Police crime data by Vox Media, violent crime from January-April 2014 dropped by 5.6 percent compared to the same period in 2013.
Also comparing the first four months of 2014 to the same period in 2013: Robberies fell by 4.8 percent; Major property crimes fell 11.4 percent; Burglaries fell 4.7 percent.
It’s too early to say anything definitively, but if these first four months of 2014 are a signal of what’s to come, marijuana activists will have one hell of a “I told you so” for local law enforcement and other anti-legalization forces.
