International Journal on Criminology Volume 6, Number 2, Winter 2018/Spring 2019 | Page 32

Colorado: Cannabis Legalization and the Challenge of Organized Crime
other factors that are more difficult to assess also form part of the
equation. According to the DEA, the migration of veterans (from
the Vietnam War) from other states has been observed since cannabis
was legalized. Veterans, who are often marginalized and
frequently affected by PTSD symptoms, seem to appreciate the
effects of cannabis and are apparently clustering in Colorado.
In the United States, part of this population comes from the hobo
world 20 of itinerant beggars who go across the country, living off
seasonal casual jobs and sometimes, it is true, stealing. Although
it is difficult to assess the true extent of the phenomenon, the increase
in this marginalized population in Colorado since 2012 has
accentuated feelings of insecurity among part of the state’s population.
On top of this, cases of burglaries targeting plants grown by
individuals, as well as the problematic coexistence of (large-scale)
growers and worried neighbors, have made families concerned
about preserving the integrity of their environment. These difficulties
with “living together” are not exclusive to Colorado. Violent
burglaries committed against individuals or “cooperatives” have
been reported in Washington State since 2009. These phenomena
could explain the diminished enthusiasm expressed in some surveys
for the legalization of cannabis.
The Inevitable Fall in Cannabis-Related Crimes
The legalization of cannabis has logically resulted in a sharp decline in crimes
associated with cannabis (by around 50 percent on average). This has contributed
to reducing the burdens placed on the police, judiciary, and prison
systems, allowing Colorado to save approximately thirty million dollars. However,
it is necessary to subtract from this sum costs linked to enforcing the new legislation,
which is directed at young people under the age of twenty-one, for whom
cannabis possession and use continue to be prohibited. This group has logically
become the central target of police activity. Between 2012 and 2014, cannabis-related
arrests increased by 5 percent among this population, from 3,235 to 3,400
people. 21
20 Hobos were made famous through Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) and
were the subject of sociological study in Nels Anderson, The Hobo: The Sociology of the Homeless
Man (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1923).
21 Colorado Department of Public Safety, Crime and Justice in Colorado (Denver, CO: Office of Research
and Statistics, 2016).
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