WSU Researchers see positive policing changes after cannabis legalization

Clearance rates improve for burglaries, vehicle thefts

• Washington State University
• EurekAlert!

PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State University researchers have found that marijuana legalization in Colorado and Washington has not hurt police effectiveness.

In fact, clearance rates for certain crimes have improved.

Clearance rates — the number of cases solved, typically by the arrest of a suspect — were falling for violent and property crimes in the two states before they authorized retail sales of marijuana late in 2012.

The rates then improved significantly in Colorado and Washington while remaining essentially unchanged in the…

• WSU Researchers see…