Marijuana-related Crime in Oregon Following Legalization of Recreational Use

In this decade we are seeing the legalization of recreational marijuana occurring across the nation, with new legislation being passed every year. This necessitates research into what works within the regulatory framework of states where MJ has been legalized. This study sets out to look at Oregon's implementation of recreational marijuana and its impact on marijuana-related offenses. Using NIBRS, we examine marijuana-related offenses across 13 counties with crime data from 41 agencies in Oregon from pre-legalization to post-legalization (2010 to 2019). This study uses elements of legalization, licenses, and production to analyze the association between these aspects and offenses that are still illegal under legalization. This study finds that marijuana-related offenses are associated with the quantity of production and the number of licenses. Additionally, this study finds that legalization may only have a minimal impact on certain types of marijuana-related offenses.