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Arrests for possessing small amounts of marijuana exceeded those for all violent crimes last year, a new study has found, even as social attitudes toward the drug have changed and a number of cities and states have legalized its use or decriminalized small quantities.
And a disproportionate number of those arrested are African-Americans, who smoke marijuana at rates similar to whites but are arrested and prosecuted far more often for having small amounts for personal use, according to the study. The arrests can overwhelm court systems.
With marijuana use on the rise, law enforcement agencies made 574,641 arrests last year for small quantities of the drug intended for personal use, according to the report, which was released Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Watch. The marijuana arrests were about 13.6 percent more than the 505,681 arrests made for all violent crimes, including murder, rape and serious assaults.
The report comes in the wake of the fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott last month in Charlotte, N.C. Mr. Scott, 43, had attracted police attention in part because, the police said, he was smoking marijuana.
People arrested for marijuana possession or other minor crimes often have a more difficult time finding work, including Cory, 31, who declined to give his last name out of concern his comments could affect his parole. He said in an interview that he had failed to find a job after 14 months in a Louisiana prison for his fifth offense involving a small quantity of drugs.
Tess Borden, a fellow at Human Rights Watch and the A.C.L.U., who wrote the report, found that despite the steep decline in crime rates over the last two decades — including a 36 percent drop in violent crime arrests from 1995 to 2015 — the number of arrests for all drug possessions, including marijuana, increased 13 percent.
The emphasis on making marijuana arrests is worrisome, Ms. Borden said.
“Most people don’t think drug possession is the No. 1 public safety concern, but that’s what we’re seeing,” she said.
originally posted by: Krazysh0t
Seriously. This is bull#. I really hope that the next President makes this into an issue during their Presidency, because at this point relying on Obama to get this fixed isn't going to happen.
Why hasn't this police culture changed yet?
Why hasn't this police culture changed yet?
originally posted by: Hazardous1408
a reply to: Krazysh0t
$5k per year per prisoner...
Yeah...
Don't see them letting this go, ever.
originally posted by: Lysergic
I love living in Colorado
how's that freedom treating y'all?
originally posted by: Bluntone22
Maybe if it's illegal they shouldn't smoke it.
That would probably stop the arrests for possession.
Stupid law? Yep
Try to change the law. It will happen eventually.
originally posted by: WilburnRoach
a reply to: Krazysh0t
Trump wants to continue and expand the arrests, so does Chris Christie. Hillary wants to decriminalize it with criminal justice reform. Trump wants stop and frisk for all!!!