Marijuana Legalization’s Impact on Baltimore Crime Remains Unclear
Six months after Maryland legalized marijuana, Baltimore officials and experts are divided on its effect on local crime rates, despite the city seeing significant drops in violence.
Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley reports that marijuana-related conflicts persist despite legalization. “I don’t think it’s really had an effect on violence because almost every day that we talk about incidents, it’s still over marijuana sales,” Worley said, citing a recent shooting involving several pounds of marijuana that appeared to be a “meet-up gone wrong.”
While Baltimore has seen impressive reductions in violence – with homicides down 20% in 2023 and 23% in 2024, and non-fatal shootings dropping 7% and 34% respectively – the connection to marijuana legalization remains uncertain.
Veronica Wright, founder of the Maryland-based National Coalition for Drug Legalization, points to systemic issues in the legal cannabis market. “If you are serious about legalizing cannabis or any other drug in a way that’s gonna have a reduction in crime, you really have to make sure that those that were selling drugs in the illicit market have an opportunity to enter the legal market,” Wright explained. She noted that expensive licensing fees and limited permits create barriers for many potential legal sellers.
A recent study by Wright’s organization, conducted with Johns Hopkins researchers, found that areas with concentrated drug enforcement later experienced higher rates of violent crime. However, Wright argues that marijuana legalization alone isn’t enough to reduce crime, as illicit sellers may simply switch to other substances.
Research from early-adopting states like Oregon and Colorado has produced mixed results, with some studies showing increased crime rates, others showing decreases, and some finding no significant change. Experts agree that more data is needed to determine the true impact of marijuana legalization on Baltimore’s crime rates.
Marijuana Legalization’s Impact on Baltimore Crime Remains Unclear Six months after Maryland legalized marijuana, Baltimore officials and experts are divided on its effect on local crime rates, despite the city Read More
