Marijuana Blog

New statistics from the Denver, Colorado police department show a 69% increase in crime at medical marijuana dispensaries in the city since last year, with a 75% increase in burglaries.

Reports say that there are about 400 medical marijuana dispensaries in Denver now, but the police statistics don’t say how many dispensaries there were last year. In other words, if the number of dispensaries is up by 69% as well, then crime isn’t up at all. If the increase in dispensaries is less than 69% then crime went up, and so forth.

As with any business with a valuable product, medical marijuana dispensaries are targets for thieves. And these places, which include banks and all manner of stores with valuables and cash on hand, become bigger targets as the economy fails to rebound.

Other factors are involved as well, like location and how much of a police presence there is in the area.

One incident in particular has people “worried” and that’s a murder of a medical marijuana caregiver that occurred last month. Richard Nack was shot in killed in his home on May 26^th in an apparent robbery. Friends say not many people knew he grew medical marijuana, and it’s a stretch to blame medical cannabis for his death.

Anyone with something valuable at their home is a target of robbery and violence if someone else finds out they have it. This is just as true of someone with a rare coin collection or someone who doesn’t trust banks and keeps a safe at home. Was Richard Nack wrong for helping people? Or was he an innocent victim?

Some want to use the “medical marijuana attracts crime” argument as an excuse to restrict access for patients. Under their logic all banks, liquor stores and 7-11’s should be moved to vacant industrial areas.

Source: http://www.9news.com