A study has shown that the decriminalisation of cannabis in the US city of Atlanta led to a significant decrease in violent crime, contradicting initial fears from critics of the policy.
Data showed that violent crime rates fell by nearly 20 per cent after the city reduced penalties for cannabis possession in 2017, with approximately 20 fewer violent crimes per 100,000 people occurring each month.
The study compared crime data between Atlanta and other cities in the state of Georgia that had not decriminalised cannabis between 2015 and 2018, using Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Uniform Crime Reports.
Researchers attribute the reduction to police being able to focus on other crimes instead of dealing with cannabis. “Our findings suggest that decriminalisation led to a reduction in violent crime, likely due to police reallocating resources from marijuana enforcement to violent crime prevention,” the report states.
Under the 2017 policy change, the penalty for possessing up to an ounce of cannabis was reduced from a potential year in jail and £1,200 fine to a maximum civil fine of £60, with no possibility of imprisonment.
The Atlanta Police Department (APD) had indicated this shift in focus shortly after the policy was implemented. “We want to fill jails with armed robbers, rapists, burglars, home invaders — we do not want to fill the jails with pot smokers. That’s the bottom line,” said APD Public Affairs Director Carlos Campos at the time.
The study’s findings remained consistent over the 15 months following decriminalisation, with researchers noting that the decrease in violent crime was not offset by increases in neighbouring counties. Property crime rates remained unchanged by the policy.
“Our findings align with broader research suggesting marijuana liberalization does not increase crime and may, in some cases, reduce violent offenses,” the study authors wrote.
According to a recent report by Transform, cannabis reform in the UK could save the criminal justice system up to £284 million annually after five years. Up to £88 million in savings could come from reduced policing costs for cannabis-related offences and £167 million would be saved from decreased prosecutions.
