Medical marijuana dispensaries don't boost local crime

Updated:

HealthMore>>
Favorite music may ease anxiety for patients
Favorite music may ease anxiety for patients
Music can help soothe the fear and anxiety of critically ill patients who have been placed on ventilators, reducing both their stress and their need for sedatives, according to a new study.
Music can help soothe the fear and anxiety of critically ill patients who have been placed on ventilators, reducing both their stress and their need for sedatives, according to a new study.
Revised sunscreen labels should help consumers make wiser choices
Revised sunscreen labels should help consumers make wiser choices
Dermatologists are saying that new federally mandated labeling laws for sunscreens should help Americans make smarter choices when it comes to products that provide the best sun protection.
Dermatologists are saying that new federally mandated labeling laws for sunscreens should help Americans make smarter choices when it comes to products that provide the best sun protection.
Living near major roadways in pregnancy tied to respiratory woes in children
Living near major roadways in pregnancy tied to respiratory woes in children
A child whose mother lived near heavy traffic while pregnant faces a relatively higher risk for developing a respiratory infection before the age of 3, a new study suggests.
A child whose mother lived near heavy traffic while pregnant faces a relatively higher risk for developing a respiratory infection before the age of 3, a new study suggests.
Noise, dirty air may be double whammy for the heart
Noise, dirty air may be double whammy for the heart
Air pollution and noise pollution both may boost the risk of heart disease, new research from Germany suggests.
Air pollution and noise pollution both may boost the risk of heart disease, new research from Germany suggests.
Racial disparities seen in U.S. lung cancer treatment
Racial disparities seen in U.S. lung cancer treatment
Racial disparities exist in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer among hospitals in the United States, according to a large new study.
Racial disparities exist in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer among hospitals in the United States, according to a large new study.
Genes may boost woman's risk of postpartum depression
Genes may boost woman's risk of postpartum depression
Pregnant women with specific alterations in two genes may be at increased risk of suffering depression after giving birth, a small new study suggests.
Pregnant women with specific alterations in two genes may be at increased risk of suffering depression after giving birth, a small new study suggests.
Many can blame family for their bunions
Many can blame family for their bunions
If you've got bunions, chances are others in your family suffer from the common foot disorder, with a new study finding the condition is often passed down from parents to children.
If you've got bunions, chances are others in your family suffer from the common foot disorder, with a new study finding the condition is often passed down from parents to children.
ADHD in childhood may raise risk for obesity in adulthood
ADHD in childhood may raise risk for obesity in adulthood
Boys who are diagnosed with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are twice as likely to become obese adults as those who didn't have the disorder when they were young, a new 30-year study shows.
Boys who are diagnosed with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are twice as likely to become obese adults as those who didn't have the disorder when they were young, a new 30-year study shows.
Latest edition of psychiatry's 'bible' launched amid controversy
Latest edition of psychiatry's 'bible' launched amid controversy
As the American Psychiatric Association unveils the latest edition of what is considered the "bible" of modern psychiatry this weekend, the uproar over its many changes continues.
As the American Psychiatric Association unveils the latest edition of what is considered the "bible" of modern psychiatry this weekend, the uproar over its many changes continues.
Swallowing magnets can be fatal for children
Swallowing magnets can be fatal for children
Children who swallow high-powered magnets often need surgery and other invasive procedures to remove the objects, according to a new study.
Children who swallow high-powered magnets often need surgery and other invasive procedures to remove the objects, according to a new study.

WEDNESDAY, June 6 (HealthDay News) -- Neighborhoods with medical marijuana dispensaries do not have higher crime rates than other neighborhoods, according to researchers who examined 95 different areas of Sacramento, Calif., in 2009.

As more U.S. states have legalized the use of marijuana for medical reasons, some people have expressed concern that outlets that dispense the drug and their clients will become targets for crime.

But that's not the case, according to the study in the July issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

The researchers found no evidence that neighborhoods with a higher density of medical marijuana dispensaries had higher rates of violent crime or property crime than other neighborhoods.

The study authors added, however, that further research is needed because they looked at neighborhoods at only one point in time. A neighborhood's crime patterns could change over time as more medical marijuana dispensaries open.

"This study is a good first step," study leader Nancy Kepple, of the University of California, Los Angeles, said in a journal news release. "But it was not designed to address the bigger picture of how these dispensaries might be affecting neighborhoods."

She also noted that the findings are based on one city, and research in other cities may yield different results. Currently, 17 states and Washington, D.C., permit medical marijuana use.

"The more research that's done, the more complete a picture we'll have," Kepple said.

Medical marijuana was legalized for use in patients whose doctors recommend it for relief during treatment for cancer, AIDS, chronic pain and other conditions, according to the California Department of Public Health.

More information

The Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research at the University of California-San Diego has more about medical marijuana.

*DISCLAIMER*: The information contained in or provided through this site section is intended for general consumer understanding and education only and is not intended to be and is not a substitute for professional advice. Use of this site section and any information contained on or provided through this site section is at your own risk and any information contained on or provided through this site section is provided on an "as is" basis without any representations or warranties.

Medical marijuana dispensaries don't boost local crime

Medical marijuana dispensaries don't boost local crime

HealthMore>>