Medical Marijuana Dispensaries and Crime

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Do Medical Marijuana dispensaries attract more crime than other businesses? This editorial says no. Despite sensationalized headlines that are designed to make the public think that medical marijuana dispensaries are creating a whole slew of new criminal activities, the evidence does not support these claims.

Even though medical marijuana has been legalized in some states, our morality standard bearers cannot stomach that marijuana is no longer a criminal activity. So to make up for that, they've now launched a campaign (expect this to grow!) singling out marijuana dispensaries as magnets for criminal activity.

Yes, like many businesses a marijuana dispensary has a lot of cash and valuable inventory on the premises. Just like banks, convenience stores, gas stations, etc. that are also targets of criminal activity.

As this editorial points out, every other day a Colorado bank is robbed. Add to that the other kinds of businesses that get robbed, and the number of dispensary robberies seems negligible.

It would appear that the emphasis given to these dispensary crimes are geared to provide an excuse to municipalities that don't want dispensaries in their jurisdictions, or wish to close down those that exist. We must counter these claims with the facts.

But the police statistics tell another story:
http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_14027740

 

[slappyjack]

I'm sure we'll start hearing about real-estate values going down because of the dispensaries.

Which completely ignores the fact that real estate is crashing because of the recession which was caused by the unregulated lending industry.

 

[vta]

This is what Eric Garcetti{pres LA City Counsel} had to say in an interview..

We don't have a lot of complaints about the dispensaries themselves, we've had pretty well run operations.

So where is the epidemic? There is none!

 

[cobcoop]

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_14033042

where is the outrage? the owners of check cashing places need to be shutdown, and prosecuted.

It is no coincidence that MMJ's bad press is making headlines everyday. A certain State Senator has been gaining notoriety for jumping on the 'regulate MMJ' bandwagon. Not to mention newspaper sales.

 

[Tylor Durden]

Seems that these dispensary managers are all sitting around singing koombaya instead of dealing with the order of the day for this type of retail business, which must be, without a doubt security.

An attractive target no doubt, unlike banks and pharmacies, it's not a class 1 felonly(yet) to rob a dispensary. Physical volumes of the goods are small and resale of stolen goods are all too easy. You'd don't see liquor store thieves carting off cases of Crown or Jack right?..but a pound of mmj can fetch a good amount of money for something that fits in a shopping bag.

Bulletproof glass is really really expensive but we're all friends "right"? After a rash of bank robberies in the early 90's most if not all banks in major crime areas now have counter to ceiling partitions and even threatening a patron with a gun won't get a teller to open the door.

Sorry to say, but a dispensary is NOT a coffee house, and for the safety of all patrons it shouldn't be treated like one.

Even if prices fell to say $50 an oz, it will STILL be a attractive target for a certain class of criminal. A local store had a $1000 window broken by a smash and grab crook. Total haul, one 30 pack of bud and one bottle of jack, one bottle of jack was dropped and broke on the floor.

meanwhile dozens of cartons of cigarettes were left untouched. An easy target with a quick reward

Any dispensary that doesn't put up at least moderate security will get hit sooner or later, and no doubt over the next year we'll see the more sophisticated crooks renting properties next door, tunneling in and making off with a 6 figure haul, since some folks are proud of the amount of money they are bringing in daily and have no problem giving interviews to anybody who asks.

If we're going to go with "medicine" treat it like a pharmacy. Who's lobbying to protect the early groundbreakers with big penalties for crime?.

How long before a dispensary worker is paraded around in handcuffs on the evening news for killing one of these criminals?

This editorial is right on target. It's just that any MMJ story is making front page news, thanks to the activities of some organizations who seem to want to push it right up in everybodies face that they are making big bucks in the business. Why poke the bear when things are moving in the right direction?

If the big business heads had _any_ sense. They would be diverting their "profits" to some notable and highly viable cause that would bring more fence sitters onto their side.

Imagine if for example that well know big money maker in Oakland made a humongous donation to programs helping the elderly, like a new fleet of meals on wheels trucks?

At this time of year such a donation would bring so much positive press, it could totally negate the press being offered by the people in control of media who think MMJ is not in the best interest of the USA.

I've got to go feed the pigeons now....

 

[beer batter]

Would a house on any block attract more crime if it had a backyard full of medical marijuana? If its indoors its out of sight and out of mind, but these medical marijuana dispensaries are well known to anybody whose up on knowledge or has an ear to the street. I've read police departments treat medical marijuana clubs same as high price jewelry stores in patrol and security and probably crime-risk assessment. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
<o></o>
Theirs no dif from a backyard full of medical marijuana from a high price jewelry store-cause a good yield could be as much as some clubs have in stock at any point in time -a pound a plant is always targeted sometimes we get more. 6 plants -people treat this like hitting a jewelry store or a bank outright -they got 60seconds to get rich, but good security including guards on watch from dusk till dawn is a must. I would bet those are the hours a garden may get hit but like some clubs that got hit in broad daylight reminiscent of a bank robbery with staff in a shoot out with robbers before the sheriff or PD arrives. They may be brazen enough to rip a garden in broad daylight – <o></o>
General Douglas MacArthur ~“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”<o></o>

Abraham Lincoln ~“Beware of rashness, but with energy, and sleepless vigilance, go forward and give us victories”<o></o>
<o></o>
Benjamin Franklin ~"They that are on their guard and appear ready to receive their adversaries, are in much less danger of being attacked than the supine, secure and negligent."

Andre Hicks ~"Always lookin' out for Benny Blanco"
I also have a baby monitor I put out on the sidewalk under some bushes so people don’t see the microphone, keep an ear to the street when im not outside. It picks up foot steps if their not tip toe'n and cars drivein' by are noisy on the receiver, so when im in taking a crap or hitting the bong/rolling some spiffs I can still be vigilant while im getting ready to go outside. The microphone end is connected to a 50ft extension cord and the receiver will beep loudly when its disconnected from the outlet or the wire was cut, its also duct taped to be weather proof -everything but the tiny hole for the mic. its tucked under some bushes that run water away from it like an umbrella otherwize id put half a a 16oz party cup over it to drain water away from the microphone's hole. Microphones and video surveillance are things big,small banks and jewelry stores go threw. Crooks know police response and so should you all so you can mitigate violence, loss and overall crime in the surrounding community.<o></o>

 

[kmk420kali]

Bulletproof glass is really really expensive but we're all friends "right"? After a rash of bank robberies in the early 90's most if not all banks in major crime areas now have counter to ceiling partitions and even threatening a patron with a gun won't get a teller to open the door.

But it is all for show!! The Banks are bound by their insurance company policies...they have to hand over the $$...period-- No discussion, no heroics-- Armed or not--
That is why they are such targets, because if you ask for the $$...they will give it to you...at least out of the drawer--

 

[beer batter]

skip- marijuana is big business -a billion dollar buisness both illegally and legally so we must not be ignorant in dealing with a product that is still sold illegally by drug lords and small times alike -dope fiends will be dope fiends and steel anything for their $500 vacation. i wouldn’t put it past a criminal or drug addict that will weigh risk~reward without consequence, people still rob banks where’s the evidence they aren’t still robbing dispensaries or haven’t in the past. if not dispensaries then the farmers and providers that supply them -the gardens must have security or someone will try to push them over to pick up a few thousand dollars. i hear bad things about Arcata and how folks wear bullet proof vests and stay on their toes 100% of the time, sleep with an eye open ya know

 

[beer batter]

But it is all for show!! The Banks are bound by their insurance company policies...they have to hand over the $$...period-- No discussion, no heroics-- Armed or not--
That is why they are such targets, because if you ask for the $$...they will give it to you...at least out of the drawer--

Lets talk jewelry storeowner now; he isn’t bound by insurance policy. I’ve seen one tape where I guy is maced by the crooks and still pulls his gun out of his pocket to put the thieves in their place -blind by the mace he shoots randomly wounding one I think but he wasn’t prosecuted by the cops for it -the owner locked the door before getting maced so the crooks hid behind a table until cops arrived.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
<o></o>
Banks get robed and give up the cash jewelry stores get robed and its a bit more risk to reward in their calculations but they still rob jewelry stores cuz its a risk-reward type of thing -dope fiends and habitual criminals could be ignorant of consequences so we should always be vigilant of our liberties and secure our freedoms. <o></o>
<o></o>
Granted the jewelry store owner with a 380 in his pocket has probably gotten robbed in the past, we should be vigilant from the get go and carry our arms and abide by our rules and regulations so we can mind our business rather the security side of the operation. <o></o>
<o></o>

Think of it more like high priced jewelry, $100 for 7 grams on the street 300 an ounce a 1000 a QP and 20 a gram –these crook are getting rich off of common ignorance. Even worse they are steeling from medical marijuana patients mostly and selling right back to MMJ patients. I speak from a position where my locals have set prohibition on these clubs (within California I shit you not) so we must provide our own and literally be our own medical marijuana club –micro style. We have to provide our own and basically the police and city council have pushed the crime and everything into our backyards and spare bedrooms –our homes and neighborhoods so the crooks know where to look for the booty –the pot pirates drive in big trucks to look over fences and also haul off huge crops of viable medication from the sick and painful who grew it. I can bet on these people continuing their crime life and dope adventures I cant bet on local crime statistics to tell me tomorrows forecast and I sleep with peace of mind now that I hardly sleep at night hahaha

 

[johnnyla]

Seems that these dispensary managers are all sitting around singing koombaya instead of dealing with the order of the day for this type of retail business, which must be, without a doubt security.

An attractive target no doubt, unlike banks and pharmacies, it's not a class 1 felonly(yet) to rob a dispensary. Physical volumes of the goods are small and resale of stolen goods are all too easy. You'd don't see liquor store thieves carting off cases of Crown or Jack right?..but a pound of mmj can fetch a good amount of money for something that fits in a shopping bag.

Bulletproof glass is really really expensive but we're all friends "right"? After a rash of bank robberies in the early 90's most if not all banks in major crime areas now have counter to ceiling partitions and even threatening a patron with a gun won't get a teller to open the door.

Sorry to say, but a dispensary is NOT a coffee house, and for the safety of all patrons it shouldn't be treated like one.

Even if prices fell to say $50 an oz, it will STILL be a attractive target for a certain class of criminal. A local store had a $1000 window broken by a smash and grab crook. Total haul, one 30 pack of bud and one bottle of jack, one bottle of jack was dropped and broke on the floor.

meanwhile dozens of cartons of cigarettes were left untouched. An easy target with a quick reward

Any dispensary that doesn't put up at least moderate security will get hit sooner or later, and no doubt over the next year we'll see the more sophisticated crooks renting properties next door, tunneling in and making off with a 6 figure haul, since some folks are proud of the amount of money they are bringing in daily and have no problem giving interviews to anybody who asks.

If we're going to go with "medicine" treat it like a pharmacy. Who's lobbying to protect the early groundbreakers with big penalties for crime?.

How long before a dispensary worker is paraded around in handcuffs on the evening news for killing one of these criminals?

This editorial is right on target. It's just that any MMJ story is making front page news, thanks to the activities of some organizations who seem to want to push it right up in everybodies face that they are making big bucks in the business. Why poke the bear when things are moving in the right direction?

If the big business heads had _any_ sense. They would be diverting their "profits" to some notable and highly viable cause that would bring more fence sitters onto their side.

Imagine if for example that well know big money maker in Oakland made a humongous donation to programs helping the elderly, like a new fleet of meals on wheels trucks?

At this time of year such a donation would bring so much positive press, it could totally negate the press being offered by the people in control of media who think MMJ is not in the best interest of the USA.

I've got to go feed the pigeons now....

it's been done. and no need to rent a property out.

The Health Center in Studio city, Circa 2006, was robbed. they cut in through the ceiling bypassing the alarm system.

take a chainsaw to the ceiling and ZING!!!!

 

[beer batter]

Over the next year we could also see more cultivation rip-offs cause these places should be on lockdown and have big efforts to keep things out of sight and out of mind. if the garden is within sight then it always in someone’s mind -or a lot of people mind once word gets out.

It'd be a travesty to see a homeowner getting hauled off in cuffs cause he killed some crook that may or may not of had a gun -they have landscaping implements to cut the trees down -that’s lethal force but the authorities would likely see it threw to trial making a big story like how dangerous is your neighborhood with pot gardens so prevalent. a home invasion is one thing but shots ringing out in the early am over some backyard grove of marijuana trees could be troubling for those on the fence already -the not in my backyarders who may have voted it in 13 years back. think about if its some young kids with their lives ahead of them, some damb boyscouts.

Over the next year we could also see more cultivation rip-offs cause these places should be on lockdown and have big efforts to keep things out of sight and out of mind. if the garden is within sight then it always in someone’s mind -or a lot of people mind once word gets out.

It'd be a travesty to see a homeowner getting hauled off in cuffs cause he killed some crook that may or may not of had a gun -they have landscaping implements to cut the trees down -that’s lethal force but the authorities would likely see it threw to trial making a big story like how dangerous is your neighborhood with pot gardens so prevalent. a home invasion is one thing but shots ringing out in the early am over some backyard grove of marijuana trees could be troubling for those on the fence already -the not in my backyarders who may have voted it in 13 years back. think about if its some young kids with their lives ahead of them, some damb boyscouts. take down license plates and snap pictures of cars or suspicious persons, don’t be timid like a coward be brave like a soldier.

I’m not saying this cause I just got ripped off, well maybe I am but ill be sure to run drills and stay on my toes clear up till next falls harvest. this year i got new medication and was very sleepy, too sleepy and its like Bay Alarms only moto "what have you got to loose" i had ben sitting out in a lawn chair but i hadn't thought id get hit the 1st of october -they took 80% of a premature crop with exeption for a GDP that was going to be harvested a week later. ill have a tent or be sittin in my chair keeping it lit as they say -stay on my toes in anticipation at 2am so i can sleep easy at 6am or whenever my schedual allows.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

This editorial is right on target. .

I have no idea what dispensaries you've been to.... the majority that I've been to have been quite secure. Those that weren't, I did not return to. Same for any Check Cashing place.... if I don't feel safe, you don't get my business. If you dont' change your business, you will not stay in business.

Thank you for pumping up the sensationalistic side of things.

 

[johnnyla]

exactly hydro-soil.

if you set up shop in a shady part of town you won't stay in business long. not with 500 competitors.

 

[Tylor Durden]

a secure facility isn't secure if you can get in thru a simple ceiling job. Some alarm system. When I did my alarm system at home, I specifically protected against a soffett/crawlspace entry. This was a really common form of entry when I lived in the south. My pace has got more motion detectors then the solid gold dancer audition manager.


Thieves are somewhat sophisticated, they spot anything looking like a motion sensor or magnetic switch and they will make all efforts to get around it.

For this reason alone our family policy is simply not to let strangers in our home for any reason. While we have to sometimes, I watch them, if they pay more then a passing glace to any security feature in my home, they aren't called again. Make a comment about what my Medeco lock costs..forget about every coming back..make a comment about the steel door with digital keypad same deal...and so on.

Security will certainly rise with more mantraps, cameras and the like populating the dispensaries. Dispensaries setup like pawnshops ( this is what I typically have seen on the news reports, Oaksterdam and some others who gave interviews ) where there is 10k worth of product within arms reach will be a fond memory in days to come.

No doubt metal detectors will arrive too..as soon as there is a deadly shootout between a hotheaded dispensary worker and an even stupider criminal.

I've been in liquor stores that had bank like security, just short of the armed guard..had to be buzzed in and you did biz thru a bank drawer setup.

but getting back on topic, MMJ dispensary robberies are "good for ratings news"...and the more it's reported, the more little bastards will get the idea that they are an easy takedown.

 

[pugnacious]

There preparing to do a in depth investigation of all the crimes committed because of collectives/dispensaries in LA.

 

[kmk420kali]

There preparing to do a in depth investigation of all the crimes committed because of collectives/dispensaries in LA.

Betcha that 90% of them are "Loitering"-- Gangsta shit there!! lol

 

[Blue Dot]

Such a polemic must be put into context. According to the Colorado Bureau Investigation, Colorado saw 3,186 robberies and 26,597 burglaries reported to law enforcement agencies in 2008. If recent crime trends hold steady, we can easily conclude that dispensary-related crimes will amount to much less than one percent of all robberies and burglaries reported this year.

Who would report to the cops that they were robbed while committing a federal crime?

No "reporting" doesn't mean it didn't happen.

 

[kmk420kali]

Who would report to the cops that they were robbed while committing a federal crime?

No "reporting" doesn't mean it didn't happen.

You are fucking stupid-- D's...no matter what you think of them, are operating within State Guidelines...if not, the State would shut them down, right??
If a D is robbed, it is reported--
Quit trying to compile stats that are not there--

 

[Blue Dot]

You are fucking stupid-- D's...no matter what you think of them, are operating within State Guidelines...if not, the State would shut them down, right??

Really, like here in San Diego?

You think if D was robbed in San Diego they would report it. It would mean their immediate arrest.

Maybe Colo law is different, I dunno.

 

[kmk420kali]

Really, like here in San Diego?

You think if D was robbed in San Diego they would report it. It would mean their immediate arrest.

Maybe Colo law is different, I dunno.

I call bullshit!! I am betting that any Dispensary that has opened it's doors to the public, has a Business License--
SD isn't it's own State...all the D's in Cali are following the same shit--