Sheriff In Washington D.C. Says Illegal Marijuana Behind Recent Spike In Violent Crime
Recreational marijuana has been decriminalized in the United States capital district, but bad actors are still overrunning the local black market for cannabis.
That’s according to Washington D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee, who declared cannabis has “undoubtedly” played a role in the city’s spike in violent crime. Contee contends that since the court systems have eased up on prosecuting people found with illegal weed or amounts that are over the legal limit, more people feel comfortable breaking laws that limit cannabis possession.
“When people can make a lot of money selling illegal marijuana and the risk for accountability is very low, that creates a very bad situation,” Contee said during a press briefing over the weekend. “Because those individuals get robbed, those individuals get shot at and those individuals get in disputes.”
Contee spoke just hours after two dozen gunshots rang out near a restaurant in downtown D.C. and wounded two people. A separate shooting outside of the city’s Major League Baseball park on July 17th left two people hospitalized and caused the game at the time to be postponed.
No suspects have been caught in either of the two shootings, which the police chief alleged involved illegal firearms. D.C. has decriminalized possession of up to two ounces of marijuana for adults aged 21 and older.
Violent crime in the capital district is nearly identical so far in 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, according to official city statistics. The percentage of assaults with a dangerous weapon is down 4 percent, but the total number of homicides has increased by two – from 106 last year to 108 this year.
The pandemic-influenced shutdowns contributed to one of D.C.’s most violent years ever last year, and Contee said he has personally seen an increase in violent crimes related to marijuana.
“I’m seeing it happen all across our city,” he said, citing a murder on the district’s west side at an illegal marijuana flea market and a recent armed stand-off at another bootleg cannabis market on the city’s north side. “Unlawful marijuana pop-ups and unlawful distribution of marijuana in communities are a recipe for disaster.”
To combat the outbreak in crime, D.C. governor Muriel Bowser called for over $1 million in new funding for police and violence intervention programs, starting in fiscal year 2022.
