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The Impact of Marijuana Decriminalization on Crime: Evidence from Atlanta

Brian Meehan et al.

Eastern Economic Journal2026https://doi.org/10.1057/s41302-026-00322-2article
AJG 1ABDC B
Weight
0.50

Abstract

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.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1057/s41302-026-00322-2

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@article{brian2026,
  title        = {{The Impact of Marijuana Decriminalization on Crime: Evidence from Atlanta}},
  author       = {Brian Meehan et al.},
  journal      = {Eastern Economic Journal},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1057/s41302-026-00322-2},
}

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The Impact of Marijuana Decriminalization on Crime: Evidence from Atlanta

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.