Justice
Top Cops in New York and D.C. on Weed: A Study in Contrasts
NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton and D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier disagree on marijuana and its relationship to violent crimes. Or do they?
With so many changes to marijuana laws going into effect across the United States over just the past couple of years—including decriminalization in some places, full legalization in others, and expanded medical marijuana access in many more—you might forgive police officials from expressing wildly differing feelings on the subject.
New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, for example, is blaming weed for a 17 percent uptick in homicides over last year's numbers, and a 23 percent rise in shootings.