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Analysis: Cannabis Legalization Laws Associated With Lower Crime Rates

Fairfield, CT: The enactment of laws legalizing cannabis for either medical or adult-use purposes is associated with declining crime rates over time, according to findings published in the scientific journal Economic Modeling.

Researchers affiliated with the Jack Welch College of Business at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut and Barnard College in New York evaluated the relationship between statewide cannabis policies and crime rates nationwide.

Consistent with prior studies, they reported that liberalized marijuana laws were associated with reductions in overall criminal activity. Specifically, the adoption of medical cannabis legalization is associated with reduced property crime, whereas adult-use legalization is associated with decreases in violent crime. These trends become more pronounced over time.

“The overarching result from our [study] is that medical legalization reduces property crime, while recreational legalization reduces violent crime. Such effects support the … hypothesis that legalization drives out crime,” the study’s authors concluded. “The diverse and potentially time-varying impacts of medical and recreational legalization raise a cautionary note for policymakers: those considering legalization should wait a few years before pronouncing on the cost-benefit impact, focus on the specific type of legalization, and study closely the outcomes from similar states.”

Previous studies have similarly determined that cannabis legalization is associated with improvements in police clearance rates, particularly for those cases involving violent offenses.

Full text of the study, “How does marijuana legislation affect crime? Medical and recreational laws across 50 states,” appears in Economic Modeling.

Canada: Alcohol Sales Continue Historic Decline While Cannabis Sales Rise

Ottawa, Ontario: Sales of alcohol and cannabis in Canada are on opposite trajectories, according to data provided by Statistics Canada, the national statistical agency of the Canadian government.

For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, sales of adult-use cannabis products increased 6.5 percent. By contrast, alcohol sales revenue declined by 1.6 percent.

Canadians purchased $5.5 billion worth of cannabis products in the last fiscal year, with sales of herbal cannabis products comprising approximately 60 percent of all sales.

Canada legalized the adult-use marijuana market in 2018.

Data from several US jurisdictions, including California, have identified a relationship between legal cannabis access and decreasing alcohol consumption. Survey data published in 2024 in The Harm Reduction Journal found that 60 percent of cannabis consumers acknowledge using it to reduce their alcohol intake.

Complete data sets are available from Statistics Canada.

Study: Plant-Derived Cannabis Extracts More Effective Than Dronabinol in Elderly Patients With Chronic Pain

Nürnberg, Germany: Plant-derived cannabis extracts containing standardized percentages of CBD and THC are more effective and tolerable than dronabinol (synthetic oral THC) in older pain patients, according to data published in the Journal of Pain Research.

German researchers assessed the efficacy of CBD-dominant extracts versus dronabinol in matched cohorts of 484 elderly (age 65 or older) patients with either chronic or refractory pain conditions. Study participants consumed the products for 24 weeks.

Both treatments were associated with “clinically relevant improvements” in patients’ pain disability, sleep, quality of life, psychological well-being, and use of analgesics. However, patients consuming plant-derived extracts exhibited greater overall levels of improvement. Participants taking dronabinol were also more likely to drop out of the study.

The study’s authors concluded: “To our knowledge, [this study] represents the first large real-world evaluation of oral cannabis-based medicines (CBM) specifically in older patients with chronic pain. Over a 24-week observation period, both CBD > THC and THC/DRO [dronabinol] therapies were associated with clinically relevant improvements. … However, the extent of improvement and the rates of ADR [adverse drug reaction]-related discontinuations differed between the two treatment groups, with CBD > THC being associated with more favorable outcomes. These findings expand the limited evidence based on the use of CBM in elderly patients and complement previous clinical and observational studies on cannabinoids in pain medicine.”

Survey data finds that seniors are increasingly turning to cannabis, typically for medical purposes. Most older adults acknowledge holding positive perceptions about cannabis, and several recent studies show that its use is frequently associated with quality of life improvements among seniors.

Full text of the study, “CARE – A retrospective, dual-cohort, 24-week real-world study from the German pain E-registry on the effectiveness and safety of CBD-dominant oral cannabis extracts versus THC/dronabinol in older patients with chronic pain,” appears in the Journal of Pain Research.

Colorado: Data Finds No Evidence of Underage Cannabis Sales at Licensed Retailers

Denver, CO: Employees at licensed cannabis retailers strictly enforce the state’s minimum age requirements and nearly always deny entry to those without proper identification, according to data provided by state regulators.

Annual data provided by Colorado’s Marijuana Enforcement Division finds that retailers denied entry 99 percent of the time to patrons lacking proper proof of age. That result is consistent with data from other adult-use states, including California and Washington, finding that state-licensed cannabis retailers are more likely than alcohol proprietors to deny those without proper ID entry to their facilities.

Commenting on the findings, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said, “Regulation works. Illicit marijuana providers don’t ask for or check for ID, but licensed businesses most certainly do. States’ real-world experience with adult-use marijuana legalization affirms that it is being implemented in a way that provides regulated access for adults while simultaneously limiting youth access and misuse.”

Federally funded survey data compiled by the University of Michigan in December reports that marijuana use by adolescents has fallen dramatically since states began regulating adult-use cannabis markets and now stands at or near historic lows.