How would legalizing marijuana increase crime?

I think people would stay home more to get high and listen to music and enhance their minds and also discuss things like the government being out of control and what to do about it. This as opposed to Drunken idiot dullard parties where people don't remember what happened the day before a lot of times

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(In fact, critics suggest that it could make drug trafficking organizations more dependent on other drugs and illegal activities to make up for losses in the marijuana market).

Martin Jelsma, an expert on drug policy in Latin America at the Transnational Institute in the Netherlands who supports legalization measures, says that the revenue loss would not be insignificant for Mexican groups – as it is estimated that they depend on marijuana sales for about a quarter of total revenue. But there is still cocaine and heroine. “It is clear for Mexican cartels that cocaine and heroine are the areas where in terms of export they earn the most,” says Mr. Jelsma. - http://news.yahoo.com/biggest-blow-mexico-drug-car...

Also with more legalization, more businesses and employers will drug test, and those that do soa already with do so more often to keep weed users off their payrolls because of productivity and liability issues, and with more weeds users lacking gainful employment crimes would increase by weed users to pay for their marijuana.

Also since there would be a cut off at what age one could but weed, those that are under that age will still seek out dealers to purchase it from, the same for those that want to purchase cheaper weed to avoid any taxes and regulation.

Weed has proven to increase the shop lifting rate of Twinkies and Totino's Pizza Rolls. Potheads get the evil munchies.

Look at it this way, marijuana is more or less a nonviolent drug- one of the only. Legalize it and people who drug deal pot don't have a way to make extra money, forcing them to deal other drugs. Harder drugs. Harder drugs are more often associated with violence due to greater profit rate, there's people who go through withdraws and will stop at nothing to get their next fix.. but you don't ever see that with marijuana.

Where I see it happening the most is DUI's, workplace accidents due to being high, things of that nature. Plus I think a lot of people who hadn't tried it before because it was illegal would start smoking it, then we'd have more potheads running loose and I don't like that idea. As for violent crime or crimes other than driving while high, I don't see an increase due to pot.

The only thing that I can THINK of is the possibility that marijuana use impairs the ability to drive a car, or operate machinery safely. Outside of that, I don't really think marijuana use will lead to increased crime-----unless BUYING marijuana is a crime---still.

It wouldn't; it would decrease it.

Uh, according to WHAT article?

I bet there are a lot of law enforcement professionals who would like to eliminate marijuana laws, to reduce crime, and allow them to focus on REAL crime.

It wouldn't.

http://sundial.csun.edu/2009/11/legalizing-marijua...

The detroit police would have nothing to do...well maybe their jobs.

China and Canada already have commercial hemp and make $.