It’s long been the argument of law enforcement and anti-medical marijuana advocates that the government-sanctioned pot dispensaries cause an uptick in crime, especially burglary and muggings. The only problem is that argument isn’t necessarily true, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

On its face, the argument makes sense-medical marijuana dispensaries feature large caches of high quality drugs, and its customers overwhelmingly walk in with a huge wad of cash and walk out with a desirable product. But the study, published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, found that neighborhoods with medical marijuana dispensaries in Sacramento were no more likely to have crime than other neighborhoods.

The study’s authors say their research may debunk a 2009 report by the California Police Chiefs Association that said marijuana dispensaries ‘have been tied to organized criminal gangs, foster large [marijuana growth] operations, and are often multi-million-dollar profit centers.’

‘Because they are repositories of valuable marijuana crops and large amounts of cash, several operators of dispensaries have been attacked and murdered by armed robbers both at their storefronts and homes, and such places have been regularly burglarized,’ the report continues. ‘Drug dealing, sales to minors, loitering, heavy vehicle and […]