Crime drops in Colorado.... It's all about drugs

[boedicca]

Colorado is a "shall issue" state for concealed carry weapons...and permits open carry.

Crime rates are dropping.

Coincidence? I doubt it.

But then again the point here is that people were predicting an increase in crime. And guns probably don't stop all crimes from happening anyway.

Hey Genius...what happens when something that USED TO BE COUNTED AS A CRIME is made legal?

Less crime.

Duh.

 

[Treeshepherd]

Nobody goes to jail for possession of under an oz of weed. That's what has been legalized.

Everything else is the same. It's still illegal to grow with intent to sell. It's still a felony to possess more than 40 oz. It's still illegal to possess any amount for minors. And they've added a Draconian new DUI rule of 5 nanograms per liter of blood, so now you can get a DUI for having smoked weed yesterday.

So, there may be valid reasons why crime is going down in CO. Ganja legalization ain't it.

Furthermore, the taxes aren't what people expected. The revenues are coming up way short, and the taxes are keeping the black market afloat.

And really, why would you buy a taxed product when you can just get your medical card for whatever ( headaches, depression, PMS ) and grow a few plants in your back yard?

Sorry, but it's not illegal to grow it or sell it in Colorado any longer.

You don't know what you're talking about. You still get a felony and up to 5 years in jail and up to $10,000 fine for possession of over 40 oz.

The only things that changed; Over 21 adults can now legally buy up to an ounce from a state licensed provider , or up to a quarter ounce for non-residents. The DUI rules have been made more strict. Every other aspect of prohibition remains the same, including jail sentence guidelines.

Residents Visitors Denver Marijuana Info

Drug policy of Colorado - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

Since the enactment of Colorado Amendment 64 in November 2012, adults aged 21 or older can grow up to six cannabis plants (with no more than half being mature flowering plants) privately in a locked space, legally possess all cannabis from the plants they grow (as long as it stays where it was grown),[1][2] legally possess up to one ounce of cannabis while traveling,[3] and give as a gift up to one ounce to other citizens 21 years of age or older.[4] Consumption is permitted in a manner similar to alcohol, with equivalent offenses proscribed for driving.[5] Consumption in public remains illegal.[6][7][8] Amendment 64 also provides for licensing of cultivation facilities, product manufacturing facilities, testing facilities, and retail stores.[9] Visitors and tourists in Colorado can use and purchase marijuana, but can not take it out of the state, and it is prohibited at Denver International Airport.[10]
​

BTW, 40 OZs of weed is over a pound of the stuff. That's a lot of weed.

Okay, good info.

Maybe we can compromise. It is now legal to have 3 budding plants in a locked space. Once again, I'll make the point that prior to 'legalization' nobody went to jail for 3 maturing plants and 3 seedlings in a locked space. Nobody went to jail for keeping the harvest of 3 budding plants grown under lights at their home, without transporting it and without intent to sell. Those 'crimes' have always resulted in a fine and community service.

So, I don't see any logical reason why 'legalization' in CO would reduce jail populations.

Incidentally, you can't make any money selling weed unless you're harvesting at least 3 pounds of dried manicured bud per harvest. Electricity and material supplies are expensive, and it takes a day to trim a pound of bud.
3 measly plants under a 500 watt light, maybe you could make minimum wage off that, but I doubt it.

 

[frigidweirdo]

Colorado is a "shall issue" state for concealed carry weapons...and permits open carry.

Crime rates are dropping.

Coincidence? I doubt it.

But then again the point here is that people were predicting an increase in crime. And guns probably don't stop all crimes from happening anyway.

Hey Genius...what happens when something that USED TO BE COUNTED AS A CRIME is made legal?

Less crime.

Duh.

Yeah, but how much of this "less crime" is due to drugs? How much of it is just a drop in crime? Also, where's the increase in crime those who told us it would definitely happen?

Also, isn't it great that the police are out fighting proper crime rather than people smoking pot?

 

[bripat9643]

Nobody goes to jail for possession of under an oz of weed. That's what has been legalized.

Everything else is the same. It's still illegal to grow with intent to sell. It's still a felony to possess more than 40 oz. It's still illegal to possess any amount for minors. And they've added a Draconian new DUI rule of 5 nanograms per liter of blood, so now you can get a DUI for having smoked weed yesterday.

So, there may be valid reasons why crime is going down in CO. Ganja legalization ain't it.

Furthermore, the taxes aren't what people expected. The revenues are coming up way short, and the taxes are keeping the black market afloat.

And really, why would you buy a taxed product when you can just get your medical card for whatever ( headaches, depression, PMS ) and grow a few plants in your back yard?

Sorry, but it's not illegal to grow it or sell it in Colorado any longer.

You don't know what you're talking about. You still get a felony and up to 5 years in jail and up to $10,000 fine for possession of over 40 oz.

The only things that changed; Over 21 adults can now legally buy up to an ounce from a state licensed provider , or up to a quarter ounce for non-residents. The DUI rules have been made more strict. Every other aspect of prohibition remains the same, including jail sentence guidelines.

Residents Visitors Denver Marijuana Info

Drug policy of Colorado - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

Since the enactment of Colorado Amendment 64 in November 2012, adults aged 21 or older can grow up to six cannabis plants (with no more than half being mature flowering plants) privately in a locked space, legally possess all cannabis from the plants they grow (as long as it stays where it was grown),[1][2] legally possess up to one ounce of cannabis while traveling,[3] and give as a gift up to one ounce to other citizens 21 years of age or older.[4] Consumption is permitted in a manner similar to alcohol, with equivalent offenses proscribed for driving.[5] Consumption in public remains illegal.[6][7][8] Amendment 64 also provides for licensing of cultivation facilities, product manufacturing facilities, testing facilities, and retail stores.[9] Visitors and tourists in Colorado can use and purchase marijuana, but can not take it out of the state, and it is prohibited at Denver International Airport.[10]
​

BTW, 40 OZs of weed is over a pound of the stuff. That's a lot of weed.

Okay, good info.

Maybe we can compromise. It is now legal to have 3 budding plants in a locked space. Once again, I'll make the point that prior to 'legalization' nobody went to jail for 3 maturing plants and 3 seedlings in a locked space. Nobody went to jail for keeping the harvest of 3 budding plants grown under lights at their home, without transporting it and without intent to sell. Those 'crimes' have always resulted in a fine and community service.

So, I don't see any logical reason why 'legalization' in CO would reduce jail populations.

Incidentally, you can't make any money selling weed unless you're harvesting at least 3 pounds of dried manicured bud per harvest. Electricity and material supplies are expensive, and it takes a day to trim a pound of bud.
3 measly plants under a 500 watt light, maybe you could make minimum wage off that, but I doubt it.

You're forgetting that a licensed grower can grow as much as he wants.

 

[Derideo_Te]

I'm not convinced either way... yet. My issue with this particular article is that..... it's been only a year. One year? You think that's enough to work out all the long-term ramifications?

And on top of that, the article conveniently fails to mention the fact that crime has been declining for years, long before legalization. It's like catching the economy during an upswing, and passing a tax mid-upswing, and claiming... see the tax caused the economy to grow!

Or catching crime on a down swing, and passing a gun ban, mid-down-swing, and claiming.... see the gun ban lowered crime!

If there is already a pattern in progress, it's not intellectually honest to claim that a policy passed in the middle of the pattern, is responsible for the pattern.

By that logic, you would have to conclude that all the criminals were giving up their life of crime for 5 years, because they anticipated legalized pot in the future.

Well that's fantastic! Makes perfect sense to me.

Now that said... I'm not opposed to the idea that legalizing pot may in fact lower crime..... in fact.... that is very obvious. If you reduce the number of laws.... fewer laws can be broken. We can get to ZERO crime, if we just legalize.... EVERYTHING.

I really hate all those rape statistics..... I know... Let's legalize rape, and then we won't have any rape statistics anymore. Zero rapes recorded! Yay for society.

Of course that's insane.

The problem I have is, what are the long term ramifications from legalization. That's going to take years to figure out. It's not going to be determinable in a single year.

And perhaps it won't be that bad. But they did say the same thing about Alcohol in the 1940s. It won't be a big issue. Not a big deal. Nothing to be worried about. Of course today we know that alcohol is a contributing factor in tens of millions of crimes every year. 2/3rd of all domestic violence is alcohol related. 40% of all violent crimes, have alcohol as a factor.

Is it possible that a decade from now, we'll see similar problems related to pot? It's possible... is it not?

Anything is possible but alcohol removes inhibitions and makes people aggressive. Pot instead makes people mellow and less likely to get into fights. So violent crimes are unlikely to rise because of pot and since it is now legal to obtain drug use crimes will probably decline too. There might be an uptick in pot related DUI's with a corresponding decrease in alcohol DUI's. Post smokers tend to drive slower while alcohol makes people drive more aggressively. It is possible that might be reflected in accident rates too.

 

[boedicca]

Colorado is a "shall issue" state for concealed carry weapons...and permits open carry.

Crime rates are dropping.

Coincidence? I doubt it.

But then again the point here is that people were predicting an increase in crime. And guns probably don't stop all crimes from happening anyway.

Hey Genius...what happens when something that USED TO BE COUNTED AS A CRIME is made legal?

Less crime.

Duh.

Yeah, but how much of this "less crime" is due to drugs? How much of it is just a drop in crime? Also, where's the increase in crime those who told us it would definitely happen?

Also, isn't it great that the police are out fighting proper crime rather than people smoking pot?

Wow. You really are dense.

Let's assume that ten percent of crimes are for drug possession. If such drug possession were to be made legal, then crime would drop by ten percent.

 

[frigidweirdo]

Wow. You really are dense.

Let's assume that ten percent of crimes are for drug possession. If such drug possession were to be made legal, then crime would drop by ten percent.

No, I got what you're trying to claim. Funny thing is you haven't shown that the drop in crime was because drug possession of marijuana disappeared from the crime books.

 

[Treeshepherd]

Nobody goes to jail for possession of under an oz of weed. That's what has been legalized.

Everything else is the same. It's still illegal to grow with intent to sell. It's still a felony to possess more than 40 oz. It's still illegal to possess any amount for minors. And they've added a Draconian new DUI rule of 5 nanograms per liter of blood, so now you can get a DUI for having smoked weed yesterday.

So, there may be valid reasons why crime is going down in CO. Ganja legalization ain't it.

Furthermore, the taxes aren't what people expected. The revenues are coming up way short, and the taxes are keeping the black market afloat.

And really, why would you buy a taxed product when you can just get your medical card for whatever ( headaches, depression, PMS ) and grow a few plants in your back yard?

Sorry, but it's not illegal to grow it or sell it in Colorado any longer.

You don't know what you're talking about. You still get a felony and up to 5 years in jail and up to $10,000 fine for possession of over 40 oz.

The only things that changed; Over 21 adults can now legally buy up to an ounce from a state licensed provider , or up to a quarter ounce for non-residents. The DUI rules have been made more strict. Every other aspect of prohibition remains the same, including jail sentence guidelines.

Residents Visitors Denver Marijuana Info

Drug policy of Colorado - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

Since the enactment of Colorado Amendment 64 in November 2012, adults aged 21 or older can grow up to six cannabis plants (with no more than half being mature flowering plants) privately in a locked space, legally possess all cannabis from the plants they grow (as long as it stays where it was grown),[1][2] legally possess up to one ounce of cannabis while traveling,[3] and give as a gift up to one ounce to other citizens 21 years of age or older.[4] Consumption is permitted in a manner similar to alcohol, with equivalent offenses proscribed for driving.[5] Consumption in public remains illegal.[6][7][8] Amendment 64 also provides for licensing of cultivation facilities, product manufacturing facilities, testing facilities, and retail stores.[9] Visitors and tourists in Colorado can use and purchase marijuana, but can not take it out of the state, and it is prohibited at Denver International Airport.[10]
​

BTW, 40 OZs of weed is over a pound of the stuff. That's a lot of weed.

Okay, good info.

Maybe we can compromise. It is now legal to have 3 budding plants in a locked space. Once again, I'll make the point that prior to 'legalization' nobody went to jail for 3 maturing plants and 3 seedlings in a locked space. Nobody went to jail for keeping the harvest of 3 budding plants grown under lights at their home, without transporting it and without intent to sell. Those 'crimes' have always resulted in a fine and community service.

So, I don't see any logical reason why 'legalization' in CO would reduce jail populations.

Incidentally, you can't make any money selling weed unless you're harvesting at least 3 pounds of dried manicured bud per harvest. Electricity and material supplies are expensive, and it takes a day to trim a pound of bud.
3 measly plants under a 500 watt light, maybe you could make minimum wage off that, but I doubt it.

You're forgetting that a licensed grower can grow as much as he wants.

In Oregon, licensed growers have caps on sq footage of plant canopy. I'm assuming that's also the case in WA and CO.

Municipalities can and will cap # of licenses. Local govt can add additional laws and regulations to State laws. What will be the penalty for a licensed grower who exceeds the legal square footage of his grow?

And all these laws and taxes discourage black market growers from participating. With falling prices, he's barely making it as it is and doesn't want to be taxed at $35 an ounce and pay the annual license fee.

So, illegal grows continue unabated. Legal grows can be busted for violations. Minors can be busted for any possession. Adults can be busted for over an ounce. Home growers can be busted for having more than 3 budding plants. Drivers can be busted for smoking a bong load 20 hours ago. There's more laws than ever to get busted for.

 

[Treeshepherd]

"Eight of the 10 biggest Colorado cities, including Colorado Springs, have either a ban or a moratorium [on recreation providers ].So do most counties, including the one that contains Colorado Springs, El Paso County.'

Read more here: Local news from Bellingham Whatcom County WA BellinghamHerald.com

 

[PredFan]

American state legalises marijuana 8211 and crime drops 15 Metro News

"Anti-marijuana activists have warned that legalising weed would lead to increased drug addiction, mental problems and crime – but in Colorado, which legalised recreational use of marijuana, the opposite has happened."

"Overall, crime has fallen by 15% and murder has dropped by 50%."

"Sexual assaults and car crime have fallen, and violent crime is down 10% overall."

Two different issues. "Over all crime" and "marijuana use" not the same thing. Very misleading. Why is that?

Perhaps you missed this part

"Overall, crime has fallen by 15% and murder has dropped by 50%."

"Sexual assaults and car crime have fallen, and violent crime is down 10% overall."

Actually, I quoted that part in a later post. It also helps to prove my point. You cannot show a link from murder to marijuanna or laws affecting it. The fact that the article lists all crime, shows that the statistics have very little to do with marijuanna laws.