To the Editor:

The state of New Jersey legalized the sales of cannabis products. There has been substantial debate about whether the town of Princeton should authorize the opening of a dispensary for their sale. I urge the debate to focus on the evidence of costs and benefits, rather than speculation and fears.

As an economist, I turned to the recent literature about the opening of dispensaries in Colorado and California. Three papers have studied the opening of dispensaries and found that housing values near these new retail establishments did not fall – in fact, they rose! And three different papers found that opening dispensaries reduced crime rates in local areas.

Princeton’s decision should be guided by the science. Thus, I would urge the Council to vote to authorize the opening of a dispensary in town.

Leah Boustan
Broadmead Street