Cannabis and crime- is there a relationship?

OAKLAND, Calif. - Recreational cannabis has been legal in California since the approval of Proposition 64 by voters in November 2016.

Since its legalization, many Oakland cannabis shops have been targeted by criminals. Whether crime has increased because of legalization, folks on the streets of Oakland had some differing and compelling opinions. 

Cliff, who lives in Oakland, shared that he doesn’t think crime related to cannabis is different from other high-value items. He said, "I think anything that involves money, there’s no difference. There's no difference between a car, Walgreens, or a Louis Vuitton store. Money is the fabric of what this country is made of."

Donovan Mahoney was visiting Oakland from Denver. Colorado is another state that has legalized marijuana in the last decade. Mahoney was shocked to hear that an Oakland officer lost his life while investigating a robbery of a cannabis-related business. Mahoney believes crime does follow cannabis. 

Photos courtesy Department of Cannabis Control California.

He said, "If people are shooting each other over some marijuana, absolutely it’s related. That's horrible, especially killing police officers."

We did hear other opinions though. 

Jesse Gomez, a realtor based in Sacramento, said he thinks legalizing marijuana has lessened crime, now that cannabis is regulated and taxed. 

"I think we’ve seen less crime because of having access to cannabis." He said, "I do think the black market is still contributing to crime in some ways, even since we legalized cannabis.’

Despite efforts by the city of Oakland to advance equity through programs like supporting cannabis businesses, Chiaurelia Spenser says, it’s a bigger issue with complex origins. She said, "I think crime is an issue for multiple reasons --and it really starts with the youth, like not having anything to do, not having anywhere to go, people not having jobs, so they feel like how can I get what I need quicker. 

She said, "I believe it's really a deeper issue than what we're looking at on the surface level." 

Alice Wertz is a freelance reporter for KTVU FOX 2 News. She can be reached at alice.wertz@Fox.com