The average Maricopan believes the Trulieve cannabis dispensary under construction at John Wayne Parkway and Honeycutt Avenue will bring about an increase in crime in the area when it opens, according to an InMaricopa poll of 595 local residents last week.

A plurality of voters, 38%, including Dennis Johnson, concurred that “more drugs in the community, even legal ones, will cause an increase in crime.”

Maricopa Police Department Chief Mark Goodman said in March he had similar concerns, telling city staffers in a memo that “It has been my experience that marijuana dispensaries are prime targets for theft and robberies, as they typically have large amounts of cash and valuable products on hand.”

A 2014 University of Colorado Denver study found an increase in crime of 26 to 1,452% when a dispensary was introduced to a neighborhood that previously did not have one, but the researchers found the crime rates were more closely associated with how recently recreational marijuana was legalized, and less with where they were built.

Ultimately, coauthor Dr. Lonnie M. Schaible concluded “major spikes in crime are unlikely to occur in other places following legalization.”

Still, it’s a point of worry for Maricopa.

Rancho El Dorado homeowner Bejean Page predicted “more distracted driving.” Sean Quill, from the Meadows, broached concerns about the pot shop’s proximity to Maricopa High School.

Maricopa Unified School District in its official capacity opposed the business where it was first proposed, just 600 feet from the high school. In response, the weed retailer backed out and submitted a new proposal where it’s building today, about 1,200 feet away.

In the recent poll, 37% predicted the dispensary would have no impact on local crime rates.

“Kids buy their drugs on the street and adults use the dispensaries, so I don’t see any change,” said Chris Troupe, a Hidden Valley resident.

Jackie Burkhart, from Thunderbird Farms, said, “I don’t smoke it, never have, but it’s no worse than a bar.”

About 1 in 10 people surveyed last week were undecided. Only 15% said the dispensary would reduce crime rates, but according to more recent scientific studies, that’s the expected outcome in a city like Maricopa years after the legalization honeymoon wanes.

A 2019 scholarly article published in the Journal of Regional Science and Urban Economics found that “dispensaries cause an overall reduction in crime in neighborhoods, with no evidence of spillovers to surrounding neighborhoods.”

Researchers in Colorado concluded that dispensaries led to decreases in illegal drug trade, more money in the economy and increased police presence, something Goodman has promised at the new store.

Before recreational cannabis shops were legal anywhere, in 2012, scholars at the National Institutes of Health predicted “dispensaries can be at risk for property crimes, such as burglary. Employees of the dispensaries can be at risk for violent crimes, such as robbery or assault, because they are gatekeepers to both the marijuana products and the cash at the site.”

In the time since legalization, the institution’s position has about-faced. Will the same happen for Maricopa residents?