Marijuana and Crime: Is There a Connection Beyond Prohibition?

40 Pages Posted: 28 Oct 2003 Last revised: 15 Dec 2022

See all articles by Rosalie Liccardo Pacula

Rosalie Liccardo Pacula

University of Southern California - Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Beau Kilmer

RAND Corporation

Date Written: October 2003

Abstract

We examine the relationship between marijuana use and non-drug related crime using data on arrests from the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) Program and Uniform Crime Reports. There is a positive association between self-reported use at the time of the offence and non-drug related violent, property and income-producing crime even after accounting for other substance use in the ADAM data. Reduced form equations using both data sets only provide evidence supporting a causal mechanism for property and income-producing crime. In the case of violent crime, we find a statistically significant association with arrests but not reported crime, suggesting that marijuana use may just influence the likelihood of getting caught committing these crimes.

Suggested Citation

Pacula, Rosalie Liccardo and Kilmer, Beau, Marijuana and Crime: Is There a Connection Beyond Prohibition? (October 2003). NBER Working Paper No. w10046, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=461367

Rosalie Liccardo Pacula (Contact Author)

University of Southern California - Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics ( email )

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Los Angeles, CA 90089-3333
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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Beau Kilmer

RAND Corporation ( email )

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P.O. Box 2138
Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138
United States

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