ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we consider cannabis use and crime. Theoretical starting points include social learning theory, biosocial theories of criminality, and psychological theories of crime. Key concepts explored include cannabis subcultures, the Brain Disease Model of Addiction, and cannabis psychosis. Research has challenged past assumptions about the relationship between liberalization and cannabis use by youth; cannabis use and crime; and cannabis use and mental health. Perhaps the most curious aspect of cannabis and crime is what it suggests about the failure of evidence-based research to inform criminal justice policy. One question is how contemporary research can be communicated to engage criminal justice actors and policymakers.
