Denver report finds Marijuana legalization did not impact crime
Denver's Marijuana Revenue Drops to $48,1 Million as Industry Faces Challenges.
The new city of Denver licensing bulletin said marijuana revenue from taxes and licensing fees was $48.1 million in 2023, a decrease from the peak of $72.6 million in 2021.
The report found that $7.95 million supports services to help the homeless, $7.53 million is spent on affordable housing and $3.32 million supports youth education programs.
Marijuana-related crime only made up 0.2% of total crime in 2023, which is less than 1%, according to the report.
“We created the plan that was implemented by many other cities across America, and one of the reasons why our plan has been copied by so many other cities is because we successfully prevented that prediction that crime would skyrocket,” said Denver Excise and Licenses spokesperson Eric Escudero.
The Denver Police Department told FOX31 that the marijuana task force has been retooled to address the fentanyl issue in Colorado.
“You see the reduction in marijuana seizures over the last decade so I don’t think this is a surprising number. This was where these numbers were trending towards,” DPD Lt. Ryan Harris said.
Industry spokesperson Mason Tvert, a noted leader of initiatives that legalized marijuana, told FOX31 that revenues have declined since the high-demand phase of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It is a very difficult time for the legal cannabis industry,” he said.
Tvert said a solution to excessive supply is necessary and the industry must be supported as it continues to bolster efforts to address needs in the community.
“They want to pay taxes and they want to be regulated and treated like other businesses, but they cannot survive if we continue to overtax and overregulate,” Tvert said.
The report also shows the number of medical marijuana dispensaries has dropped over the past eight years, and the unlawful use and display of marijuana was up 242% in 2023 compared to 2022 with 26 citations.
The City and County of Denver’s 2024 annual marijuana report is compiled by the Office of Marijuana Policy within the Department of Excise and Licenses.
