Marijuana Dispensaries in L.A. Magnets For Robbers, Violence, Organized Crime -- Report

Seoinnovation3

We have recently begun to accept new members for 2011-2012 and walk-ins are always welcome. We have lowered our pricing and now offer a 10% discount for Veterans & Students (with valid ID) and HIV & Cancer patients. (All our TOP SHELF 1/8’s are capped at $40). Since opening our doors in 2009 our Denver dispensary has stood by our product and offered a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. http://www.tgtree.com/

medical alarm

really a nice simple theme it is

ShannieLammie

Actuallysensationalist tripe such as this would make me reluctant to report a robbery, wereI a dispensary owner. Way to excuse away statistics that refute the “dispensariescause crime” assertion, while at the same time associate them with violentunderground cartels. Kudos on both birds, but…

Statistically,how does the ‘crime magnetism’ of dispensaries compare with the business typesLightnapper lists? Where are the viable LAPD statistics that showdispensaries DO increase crime? (Stillin the oven perhaps? The background information provided in RAND’s originalreport does reveal an agenda, after all: http://americansforsafeaccess....)

According to an analysis of the mythical dispensary-crime linkby Americans for Safe Access (which was explicitly pointed out to you lastmonth, Dennis Romero):

“The absence of any connection between dispensaries andincreased local crime can be seen in data from Los Angeles and San Diego.During the two-year period from 2008 to 2010 in which Los Angeles saw theproliferation of more than 500 dispensaries, the over- all crime rate in thecity dropped considerably. A study commissioned by Los Angeles Police ChiefCharlie Beck, comparing the number of crimes in 2009 at the city’s banks andmedical marijuana dispensaries, found that 71 robberies had occurred at themore than 350 banks in the city, compared to 47 robberies at the more than 500medical marijuana facilities. Chief Beck observed that, “banks are more likelyto get robbed than medical marijuana dispensaries,” and that the claim thatdispensaries attract crime “doesn’t really bear out.” In San Diego, where someofficials have made similar allegations about increased crime associated withdispensaries, an examination of city police reports by a local paper, the SanDiego City Beat, found that as of late 2009 the number of crimes in areas withdispensaries was frequently lower than it was before the dispensary opened or,at worst, stayed the same.” http://americansforsafeaccess....

The theory doesn’t pan out in CO either. Denver PD analysisfound that dispensaries are robbed and burglarized at the same rate aspharmacies (16.8%), lower than liquor stores (19.7%) and quite a bit lower thanbanks (33.7%). Colorado Springs PD analysis likewise found nodispensary-crime link.

If you find this research flawed, I’d be happy to find “videoafter video” of bank robberies instead.

ShannieLammie

Actuallyit’s sensationalist tripe such as this that would make me cringe while reportinga robbery, were I a dispensary owner. Way to excuse away statistics that refutethe “dispensaries cause crime” assertion, while at the same time associate themwith violent underground cartels. Kudos on both birds, but…

According to an analysis of the mythical dispensary-crime linkby ASA (which was explicitly pointed out to you lastmonth, Dennis Romero):

If you find this research flawed, I’d be happy to find “videoafter video” of bank robberies instead.

Axe feeling ground?

Behold the immaculate quintessence of yellow journalism! Excellent job, Dennis Romero! Look out Fox News!

Lightnapper

More muck. Statistics lieand are inaacurate almost as much as the American Press.

LA is a cesspool of crime. Marijuana has very little to do with LE, the judicial system, and society's inability to supress criminal acts by thugs.

Based upon the logic expressed by the article, Banks should be shut down because they have a commodity robbers covet and can be dangerous places to work. Ditto-- taco trucks, street vendors, restaurants, donut shops, jewelry stores, liquor stores, taxi cabs, grocery stores, bars, etc.

How many total homicides, shootings, robberies, assaults and thefts have been reported in Topanga and Devonshire Divisions in the last six months, let alone the last 3 1/2 years? Can all of these crimes be attributed to MJ Dispenseries, or is it societal decay?

Devonshire Patrols-- Chatsworth, Chatsworth Res., Porter Ranch, Northridge, Granada Hills, Mission Hills, North Hills, Slymar, Winnettka, Van Nuys, and the unicorporated Santa Susana Mtns.

Topanga Patrols-- Topanga, Canoga Park, Chatsworth, Chatsworth Res., Reseda, Tarzana, West Hills, Winnetka, and Woodland Hills.

So how were the stats compiled-- by absolute and specific geographical areas, or by overlapping patrol areas?

Excluding West Valley, Mission,, Foothill, and Van Nuys Divisions-- overlapping patrol areas--and sticking to the specific geographical areas of Topanga and Devonshire Divisions--specifically Chatsworth/ Chatsworth Res./ Northridge/ Porter Ranch/ Granada Hills/ North Hills/ Topanga/ Woodland Hills/ West Hills/ Canoga Park and Winnetka-- in the last reported six month period let's examine statistics that might correlate with dispensery type crimes.

(LAT Crime Mapping 11-09-11)

April 4, 2011 to Oct 2, 2011 reporting period

Homicides-- 8Robbery-- 229Aggravated Assault-- 271Burglaries-- 1249Theft-- 1983

I think Topanga and Devonshire Divisions might have a crime problem distinct and seperate from the dispensation of the "Devil Weed."

Picasso

I so totally agree with you. MMJ doesn't bring crime up. There are many other criteria to add to the equation. Just labelling MMJ dispensaries as cesspools of crimes is not only wrong, it also is irresponsible.Beside moral values which will vary with the individuals, the fact is, people have been, are and will use marijuana, medical or not. If you want to smoke, you will.

The choice that we have is either to allow buyers to access it in a safe, regulated environement, one in which the state also makes money through taxes, or to force the buyers into the arms of criminals. To make that choice easier, one can consider how he would feel would his son/daughter was to be the one pushed into a crime ridden project to buy a bowl of weed.

Not everyone going that way will get into troubles but, by removing the legal way to buy pot, we create potential victims.

The victims also are not only the buyer/user of the weed. As much victims of the prohibition are the kids willing (sometime needing) to make a buck and ending up with a record for life.

As an example, take "Billy". At 14 years old, Billy lived with his parents. No horrible story of abuse or such for him. Home life was pretty good. Billy was simply a 14 years old like so many who wanted to have a couple bucks in his pocket. Regardless of his motivations, Billy still is only a kid who makes the decisions one can expect from a teenager.Billy started a pot delivery service that year, at 14. He ran it after school and got popular enough to be able to save for a car, take his girlfriend out..etc. It never got big but offorded him all the kind of things teenagers want.

Is he a criminal? He breaks the law everyday...

Billy got lucky for a few years, until his first year in College when he got busted with a few ounces. Less than a pound but enough to be indicted for possession with intent to resale.Being a smart kid, he had saved for such an issue. His money did afford him a brilliant lawyer.

Roughly ten thousand dollars and many of his parents tears later, Billy got a plea deal that spared him prison and punished him only with probation.

Some will state the obvious that he called it on himself but.. here we had a kid on his way to be a man, not really a criminal and definitelly not a bad guy but one who will remain stigmatised with a criminal record for the rest of his life.His professional options will be limited. There are countries that will not allow him to visit (in the same way that USA would not tolerate a tourist with a criminal record), he will be the prime suspect in any future investigation not even involving him but just his neighborhood, driving his in-laws home after work and pulled over by the police for a broken tail light, he'll have to inform the officers of his record....etc..

Real nice...

Once again and to conclude, beside Billy having the potential to be your son, your nephew or your dad and therefore changing the game's set by altering one's view on him, Billy is a kid becoming a man who sees his whole future disappearing in an instant.

What we did as a society in answer to his crime is not just punish and destroy him, but also we created a very dedicated criminal. We not only did destroy a man to be but we also removed the benefits we could have received after helping him reinsert himself into society.

"Criminals", for the most part are what is refered to as "A" type personnalities. They want to take charge. Some don't have the intellectual abilities when others are extremelly smart and articulate(which is often what brought them into breaking the laws in the first place). In legitimate society, Type "A" personnalities holders are CEO, politicians and everyday "Go-Getters".

Regarding Billy, once his legitimate work options finish to disappear, only the illegitimate ones will remain. At this point in his life, Billy will already know about money making opportunities much more profitable than selling pot and with much less risks. Anyone visiting a prison will notice that most inmates are young. Those who aren't young usually (beside exeptions of course) have been inside for a long time. The most you learn, 6the easier it gets with very little possibilities of being caught by the laws.

This -to me- is a prospect much scarier than kids selling or smoking joints.