Legal marijuana cuts violence says US study, as medical-use laws see crime fall

According to a new research, violent crimes in some states in the US bordering Mexico has seen a compelling decline since the legalization of marijuana.

The Economic Journal published this research and stated that violent crimes like robberies, aggravated assault, and murders reduced by 12.5 percent in areas near the border right after the proposition of the MMLs or Medical Marijuana Laws.

Research co-author Professor Evelina Gavrilova said to the ‘The Independent’ that the crime decline is due to the fact that people now have the freedom to plant and cultivate cannabis plants legally following the MMls.

Because there is no need to acquire cannabis illegally anymore, the DTOs or Drug Trafficking Organizations run low on buyers. Annually, an estimated profit of six billion dollars is enjoyed by DTOs.

As for the study, DTOs cause extreme levels of violence in the drug market. The robberies have reduced by 19 percent in the US states near the border, murders dropped by 10 percent, and assault cases went down by 9 percent. Drug-related murders scaled down by almost 41 percent.

There are eight states in the US that have legalized cannabis, and four states border Mexico. New Mexico and Arizona have MMLs.

Professor Gavrilova stated that there’s a slim chance that DTOs will cease in business. Reports have been submitted that DTOs are going to grow opium for heroin that they can then smuggle past the border into the US territory.

MMLs prohibit recreational drugs, but there is a little threshold when it comes to prescription.

Professor of Economics Imran Rasul from the University College London agrees to the benefits of marijuana concerning crimes.

US Attorney General Jeff Sessions promised lenient raids as long as the drug-related policies are followed by many.