Study says pot shops reduce crime

A new study released today suggests that, contrary to common belief, marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles do not attract crime and shutting them down may actually cause illegal activity to increase.C.J. Lin in the Daily News,

But local law enforcement officials quickly dismissed the findings and said that when it comes to medical marijuana dispensaries and crime, conventional wisdom is right.

The nonpartisan RAND Corp. studied crime reports over the 10 days before and after June 7, 2010, when the city shuttered hundreds of pot shops. The Santa Monica-based think tank found that crime shot up 60 percent within three blocks of closed dispensaries as compared to those where dispensaries were allowed to remain open.