Trending

Colorado official: 'Marijuana is gateway drug to homicide'

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A Colorado district attorney drew attention this week after he pronounced marijuana to be a "gateway drug to homicide."

The controversial remarks made by 4th Judicial District Attorney Dan May came at a news conference Tuesday about a large black market marijuana bust in the state, KKTV reported. Thirteen people have been indicted, Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman announced.

At the public announcement of the indictment, Fourth Judicial District Attorney Dan May said marijuana is the gateway drug to homicide.

Posted by KKTV 11 News on Tuesday, July 25, 2017

“Marijuana is the gateway drug to homicide in our community and across our state, and people need to start recognizing that,” May said at the news conference. He went on to say that Colorado Springs had 22 homicides in 2016, and eight were directly tied to marijuana.

In a statement, the Southern Colorado Cannabis Council called May's comments "utterly false" and "extremely dangerous." The council said numerous studies show "no correlation between cannabis use and violent crime."