New Report Shows Texas is Among States Leading the Nation in Marijuana Possession Arrests; Laws Disproportionately Enforced Against Blacks
WASHINGTON, D.C. – According to a report released Monday evening that details marijuana possession arrest rates in the United States from 2001 to 2010, Texas is among the nation’s leaders in marijuana possession arrests, and marijuana possession laws are disproportionately enforced against blacks.
Texas had the second most total arrests for marijuana possession in 2010 (74,286) and the country’s 15th highest arrest rate for marijuana possession (295 per 100,000) in 2010. Harris County had the fifth most arrests for possession of any county in the country, and Kleberg County had the second highest arrest rate nationwide (1,294 per 100,000).
“Marijuana prohibition is taking a toll on the entire country, but Texas is among the states paying the biggest price,” said Mason Tvert, director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project. “Law enforcement resources would be better spent addressing serious crimes instead of arresting adults for using a substance objectively less harmful than alcohol.”
Researchers also found that blacks in Texas were arrested for marijuana possession at more than twice the rate of whites. Van Zandt County had the nation’s largest racial disparity in marijuana possession arrest rates, and Cooke County had the fourth largest rate; blacks were more than 34 times and nearly 25 times more likely to be arrested than whites, respectively. Nationwide, whites and blacks use marijuana at comparable rates, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The report does not provide Latino arrest rates because federal arrest statistics do not distinguish between white and Latino arrests.
“Marijuana prohibition laws are not only irrational, but also unfair,” Tvert said. “Discrimination against communities of color played a role in their creation, and it continues to play a role in their enforcement.”
The report, prepared by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), is based on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program and the United States Census Bureau’s annual county population estimates. The full report is available at http://www.aclu.org/criminal-law-reform/war-marijuana-black-and-white-report.
