At a recent City of Las Cruces meeting, the Chief of Police was asked if there has been an increase in crime related to cannabis since adult use began.
"We have not seen a significant increase in calls," Chief Miguel Dominguez said.
In addition to no increase in police calls. There has been no increase in calls related to codes.
"This aligns with what we knew would happen because it's the newly legal industry that will make our communities safer," Director of Public Engagement for High Horse Cannabis Company, Scott Krahling said. "Concerns related to cannabis are almost always concerns regarding the illegal industry," he added.
Krahling pointed to concerns regarding youth access.
"Teenagers aren't going into a dispensary to get cannabis, they're buying it from their friends," Krahling said. "If all cannabis is sold through a regulated shop, young people would have a harder time accessing it."
These reports of no increase in crime align with the expectations communicated by the police department prior to adult-use sales starting. Here are a few comments from the City of Las Cruces Police Department from March 28, 2022.
As our communities move away from prohibition it is important to have this information and share it with people who are skeptical of what cannabis will do for our community. Cannabis is medicine and there is nothing to fear from this new legal industry.
The concerns are with the illegal market.