This thesis examines how legalizing cannabis affects crime rates. My goal is not to argue for or
against legalization, but to objectively analyze the impact that various legislative solutions have
on crime. Initially, I present the key concepts and historical evolution of cannabis legislation in
the territory of present day Slovenia. After this, I present Slovenia's current legal framework,
focusing on the criminal provisions, especially Articles 186 and 187 of the Criminal Code
(KZ-1). I end the theoretical part of the thesis with an in-depth examination of three
criminological theories that try to explain the connection between drug use and crime. The first
theory argues that drug use leads to criminal activity, the second suggests crime leads to drug
use, and the last one proposes that both drug use and crime originate from a common source.
The empirical part starts with an analysis of statistical data to determine how often crimes are
committed under the influence of cannabis and how many crimes are directly linked to cannabis
compared to general criminal activity in Slovenia. Main part of the thesis consists of a
comparative legal analysis of three countries that have already legalized cannabis: Uruguay,
Canada, and Germany. It highlights essential aspects of their laws and reviews empirical studies
evaluating changes in crime following legalization. After analyzing and reviewing all data, I
conclude that the impact of cannabis legalization on crime largely depends on the chosen
legislative model, how consistently it is enforced, and the broader social context in each country.
Nevertheless, the research consistently indicates that appropriate legislation can help reduce
overall crime rates, as well as cannabis-related offenses.
|
