U.S. law enforcement will make more than 217,000 arrests for marijuana-related offenses in 2023, with possession alone accounting for 84% of those arrests, according to new FBI data. While this is a slight decrease from the previous year, when more than 227,000 marijuana arrests were reported, advocates say the numbers are still unacceptable given the growing public support for legalization. claims.
Additionally, new data reveals that racial disparities in enforcement remain an ongoing problem. Black Americans, who make up about 13.6 percent of the U.S. population, accounted for 29 percent of drug arrests in 2023, according to the data. This is consistent with long-standing evidence that people of color are disproportionately targeted for cannabis-related crimes, even though rates of use are comparable between racial groups.
While the data shows a slight decrease in marijuana arrests compared to previous years, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano noted that the data provided by the FBI is incomplete. “At a time when voters and elected officials across the country are reevaluating state and federal cannabis policy, it is inconceivable that government agencies cannot produce clearer data on the estimated cost and scope of cannabis prohibition in the United States. “I can't do it,” he said. Specific issues highlighted by NORML include:
Incomplete reporting: Some law enforcement agencies do not report crime data to the FBI, resulting in an underestimate of marijuana-related arrests. For 2023, 10% of government agencies were unable to submit data, covering 6% of the US population. Inconsistent data: FBI reports are inconsistent and different sections of the report give different numbers of arrests, making it difficult to draw consistent conclusions. Unspecified classification: The category of “unspecified substance abuse violations” includes more than 53,000 arrests, and it is unclear how many of them involve marijuana. Inadequate reporting of federal data: The DEA’s annual report on federal cannabis arrests and seizures for 2023 has not been made public, leaving gaps in understanding national cannabis enforcement trends. Estimation Procedures: The FBI uses data from participating agencies to estimate some numbers, which means the total number of arrests is an approximation, not an exact number, and This further complicates the evaluation of enforcement. Policy implications: Incomplete and inconsistent data impede the ability to accurately assess the scale and cost of prohibition and complicate efforts to reform cannabis laws and address the effects of criminalization.
As the consensus in favor of legalization grows among voters and political leaders, calls to address inequities in cannabis enforcement are growing. Both current U.S. presidential candidates are calling for the legalization of marijuana, and a DEA hearing on the proposed reclassification of marijuana as a Schedule III substance under the Controlled Substances Act is scheduled for December 2nd.
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Noel Abbott
Noel Abbott is the co-founder and CEO of Ganjapreneur.
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