The fallout from drug busts in our area is highlighting a dangerous issue in Carson City. According to Sheriff Ken Furlong, the number one cause for murder isn't domestic violence or gangs, but marijuana.

"It's against that law. It does change people's attitude and we do see people dying as a result of it, needlessly, and there's no excuse for it," said Carson City Sheriff Furlong.

There may always be a dispute over the safety of marijuana, but in Carson City, the drug has proven to be deadly.

"In the last 13-15 years, all of the violence we've seen that has turned deadly, have been in someway related to a marijuana issue."

In early 2016, 18-year-old Grant Watkins was shot and killed over just three ounces of marijuana in a drug deal. A month later, 40-year-old Dennis Wright Junior was also killed in marijuana deal, this time in nearby South Lake Tahoe.

"During a transaction, they set it up, 'I'm going to sell this to you,' then all of a sudden someone gets shot and killed," said Sheriff Furlong. "It's not because they were under the influence; it's because they were doing something deadly and it turned out that way."

The danger isn't so much about what the drug will do to you, rather the culture and crimes around it that can be overwhelming.

"It's a very cherished culture and people have very strong beliefs. When you violate someone's beliefs, you put them in a position where they can act out."

That's when crimes start to happen. After any drug raid, Sheriff Furlong says there are always repercussions from addicts who can't find another way to get their drugs.

"We're watching very closely not only for a spike in crime, but for people who are in critical need of medical care because of that lack of treatment, based on withdrawal from the drug."

Sheriff Furlong says unlike other drugs like heroin or methamphetamines that can distort your mind, people using marijuana usually have rational trains of thought which give them the ability to act out and become violent when someone takes away or violates their drug.