Illegal Marijuana and Drug-Related Violent Crime in North Texas

• NCJ Number: 310540
• Date Published: June 2025
• Length: 28 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2018-75-CX-0005
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)

Abstract

This study explores illegal marijuana markets and drug-related violent crime in Tarrant County, a northern region of Texas. The study addressed four research questions: (1) What are the trends and patterns related to the illegal marijuana market in North Texas?; (2) How has state-approved marijuana in other proximate states affected the illegal marijuana market in North Texas? (3) Is there a relationship between illegal marijuana and violent crime in North Texas?; (4)  What role does the Dark Web play in facilitating the illegal marijuana market?

Using a mixed-methods design, researchers analyzed data from: law enforcement incident reports and investigative case files; interdicted cannabis parcels (n = 1,333); demographic data at the census block and zip code level; inmate surveys (n = 231) and interviews (n = 16); as well as Dark Web marketplace listings (n = 5,233) and images (n = 5,237) that were examined through systematic content analysis. Quantitative analyses employed spatial and multivariate techniques, while qualitative data provided contextual insights.

Findings indicate a saturated cannabis market in Tarrant County, with marijuana widely accessible and distributed locally. Inmate surveys revealed that most individuals obtained marijuana within five miles of their residence, though there were frequent reports of cannabis being mailed and driven into Tarrant County from states where it is legal. From 2018 to 2020, a total of 1,333 interdicted cannabis parcels were studied, involving 1,084 zip codes and 13,140 pairs of addresses. These parcels originated from 41 states—primarily California, Colorado, Washington, and Oregon—underscoring the influence of legalization in these states on the local market. Spatially, there were few consistent patterns where the cannabis packages were shipped to, with interdicted parcels widely dispersed across the entire county.

The relationship between cannabis and violent crime was weak. While law enforcement data suggested some spatial overlap between cannabis offense and violent crime hot spots, statistical analyses found no strong link between possession cases and violence. Incidents involving intent to distribute showed a modest association with violent crime, and inmate interviews supported this observation, noting that violence was relatively uncommon and, when it did occur, it typically happened during large-scale transactions. While most inmates reported that transactions occur without violence, they pointed out that the potential for violence is ever-present, and for this reason, some inmates (roughly one-third) reported the presence of weapons during these transactions.

Dark Web analysis demonstrated extensive cannabis sales, primarily in small quantities for personal use.  Across four monitored markets—Cryptonia, Empire, Monopoly, and White House—content analysis revealed sophisticated marketing, pricing strategies, concealment tactics, and advertisement of products as originating from legal states.

Policy recommendations include strengthening local–federal collaboration to target areas with high volumes of interdicted packages, concentrating enforcement on micro‑places linked to cannabis crime, and building technical capacity to monitor Dark Web activity. Leveraging intelligence on interdicted packages and inmate insights can reveal trafficking trends, concealment tactics, and high‑risk locations. Training officers to detect Dark Web indicators and applying spatial tools such as Risk Terrain Modeling will further enhance proactive investigations.