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Did legalization of weed help reduce violence in Baltimore in 2024?

Whenever there's a debate surrounding the legalization of marijuana, one of the biggest arguments - both for and against it - is that it will impact crime rates either for better or for worse. Advocates for legal pot say it helps free up police resources, limits crimes related to the illegal drug market, and reduces alcohol use which is more heavily linked to violence. But studies, mostly focused on early adopters like Oregon or Colorado, show mixed results. Some found a spike in crime, others found a drop in crime, and others found no significant difference either way. On the ground here in Baltimore, Police Commissioner Richard Worley says: "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 told WMAR-2 News' Elizabeth Worthington.

Whenever there's a debate surrounding the legalization of marijuana, one of the biggest arguments - both for and against it - is that it will impact crime rates either for better or for worse. Advocates for legal pot say it helps free up police resources, limits crimes related to the illegal drug market, and reduces alcohol use which is more heavily linked to violence. But studies, mostly focused on early adopters like Oregon or Colorado, show mixed results.

Some found a spike in crime, others found a drop in crime, and others found no significant difference either way. On the ground here in Baltimore, Police Commissioner Richard Worley says: "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 told WMAR-2 News' Elizabeth Worthington..