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<p>In 2017, Atlanta decriminalized misdemeanor amounts of marijuana. Previously, possession of an ounce or less could result in a fine of up to $1,500 and a year in jail under Georgia state law. After decriminalization, the penalty in Atlanta was reduced to a maximum $75 fine with no jail time. We employ two-way fixed effects and synthetic difference-in-difference methods to analyze the impact on Atlanta’s crime rates, using other Georgia cities still enforcing state law as a control group. Our findings suggest that decriminalization led to a reduction in violent crime and violent crime clearances, likely due to police reallocating resources from marijuana enforcement to violent crime prevention—aligning with claims by the Atlanta Police Department.</p>

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The Impact of Marijuana Decriminalization on Crime: Evidence from Atlanta

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月26日

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  • Brian Meehan,
  • Jamie Sharpe,
  • Jake Weitkamp

摘要

In 2017, Atlanta decriminalized misdemeanor amounts of marijuana. Previously, possession of an ounce or less could result in a fine of up to $1,500 and a year in jail under Georgia state law. After decriminalization, the penalty in Atlanta was reduced to a maximum $75 fine with no jail time. We employ two-way fixed effects and synthetic difference-in-difference methods to analyze the impact on Atlanta’s crime rates, using other Georgia cities still enforcing state law as a control group. Our findings suggest that decriminalization led to a reduction in violent crime and violent crime clearances, likely due to police reallocating resources from marijuana enforcement to violent crime prevention—aligning with claims by the Atlanta Police Department.