Study: Blacks More Likely to be Arrested for Marijuana Possession

By Redmond Carolipio, Dan Abendschein and Alex Gronke

Blacks are four times more likely to be arrested than whites for marijuana possession, according to a report from the American Civil Liberties Union that contends billions in dollars and resources have been spent on racially biased arrests.

The report, titled "The War on Marijuana in Black and White," was released Tuesday and focused on law enforcement records across the country. Among the report's findings, according to the ACLU, are that there were 8 million marijuana arrests in the United States, or one pot arrest every 37 seconds. The enforcement of marijuana laws also costs about $3.6 billion annually, the report states.

In California, blacks are about two times as likely to get arrested for marijuana possession, which puts it above Maine, Oregon, New Mexico, Colorado, Alaska and Hawaii. At the top of the list is the state of Iowa: According to the report, blacks there are about eight times as likely to get busted for pot.

On a county scale, blacks were 2.6 times as likely to get arrested for pot in Los Angeles County, while San Francisco County displayed the biggest margin, as blacks were 4.3 times as likely for a pot possession arrest.

In 2011, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reported 975 marijuana arrests to the California Department of Justice. Within those arrests, 372 were black, which accounts for 38 percent. Also in 2011, the Sheriff's Department reported 453 arrests of Hispanics for marijuana possession, which actually accounted for 46 percent of the department's total pot possession arrests that year.

According to the latest numbers from the United States Census Bureau, blacks account for 9.3 percent of Los Angeles County's population; non-Hispanic whites comprise 27.6 percent of the county; Hispanics and Latinos are 48.1 percent of the county population.

Also in 2011, the Sheriff's Department reported 453 arrests of Hispanics for marijuana possession, which actually accounted for 46 percent of the department's total pot possession arrests that year.

According to the latest numbers from the United States Census Bureau, blacks account for 9.3 percent of Los Angeles County's population; non-Hispanic whites comprise 27.6 percent of the county; Hispanics and Latinos are 48.1 percent of the county population.

The ACLU study is attached to this article.