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posted on 8/4/19

Imagine that you are a marijuana dealer in Illinois, a state that recently legalized marijuana. Since Illinois residents can obtain small quantities of marijuana legally as of January 1, 2020, your marijuana purchasing clients may no longer come to you for weed. In many cases, drug dealers in states with legalized marijuana are beginning to sell harder illegal drugs. Many are delving further into the black market of selling legal marijuana to customers living in states that have not legalized marijuana. What is the overall effect of the legalization of marijuana on the health and safety of Americans? It is too soon to know all of the impacts of legalization, but some changes and trends are becoming more evident.

Marijuana Black Markets are Growing as a Result of Marijuana Legalization

A Boulder County Sheriff stated that in his county, he had seen more crime around legal marijuana retail outlets. Would the legalization of marijuana not decrease black market activity since people can buy it legally? No, especially in Colorado, which is landlocked in-between states that have not legalized marijuana. The sheriff noted that the black market issue is becoming a problem.

The sheriff notes that people in Colorado grow marijuana legally, but they then sell the marijuana to people in states where marijuana use is still illegal. He notes a triple homicide that happened in Colorado when a couple and their brother-in-law who grew black market marijuana were murdered. The sheriff argues that if more states legalize marijuana, the motivation and need for a black market will decrease.

One positive is that people can legally use marijuana without stigma, and the state of Colorado is making a lot of tax revenue from marijuana sales. He recommends that legislatures clearly define the limits of growing medical marijuana in homes. He would also like to see better data around the impact of marijuana on DUI rates.

Car Accidents are More Common in States That Legalize Marijuana

The Washington Post reports that states like Illinois who have legalized marijuana have seen a 6% increase in motor vehicle crashes. The president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute argues that the data from his report shows a “definite increase in crash risk that is associated with the legalized recreational use of marijuana.” Importantly, correlation does not necessarily mean causation. In other words, we need better and more research to prove whether marijuana alone caused the increase.

Marijuana-Related DUI Police Practices are Still New, and We are Here to Help

While DUI testing for alcohol is well studied, practices for detecting whether someone has consumed more than the legal limit of marijuana are relatively new and unstudied. Police officers who are self-authenticated “Drug Recognition Experts” will make errors and arrest innocent people for driving while under the influence of marijuana in Illinois.

At Glasgow & Olsson, our skilled criminal defense attorneys vigorously represent our clients who face marijuana-related charges. If you are facing marijuana-related drug charges in Cook, Lake, Kane, McHenry, or DuPage county, reach out right away. To contact us, please fill out our online form for an initial consultation.

(image courtesy of Cory Bouthillette)