Washington Examiner, 10 Jun 2013 – Courtesy of the American Civil Liberties Union, we now know that there’s a racial disparity in marijuana arrests. The ACLU released the results of its study last week. According to U.S. News & World Report, “the study showed that in 2010 black Americans were around four times more likely to be busted for pot.” The story had other revelations. “Data gleaned from FBI Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and U.S. Census numbers show that every state except Hawaii had a higher per capita marijuana arrest rate for blacks than for whites, and the disparity appears to be growing in most states. The gap between black and white arrest rates grew in 38 states and the nation’s capital between 2001 and 2010.” And yes, there are studies that show black Americans use marijuana less than white Americans do. It appears that, when it comes to law enforcement, the focus seems to be on arresting black Americans, at least for marijuana possession.
posted on June 10, 2013 by
