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tHe War on MariJUana in BlacK anD WHite

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were far fewer arrests for marijuana possessi<strong>on</strong>. As law enforcement<br />

has <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly prioritized marijuana possessi<strong>on</strong> arrests, usage rates<br />

have risen. Generally, from 1980 to 2000 there was no upward trend <strong>in</strong><br />

the number of people us<strong>in</strong>g marijuana. S<strong>in</strong>ce 2000, however, marijuana<br />

use has generally <strong>in</strong>creased am<strong>on</strong>g pers<strong>on</strong>s aged 18 or older and has<br />

rema<strong>in</strong>ed approximately the same for pers<strong>on</strong>s aged 12 to 17.<br />

FIndIng<br />

#5<br />

M<strong>on</strong>ey Wasted <strong>on</strong> Marijuana Arrests: States<br />

Spent over $3.6 Billi<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> Marijuana Possessi<strong>on</strong><br />

Enforcement <strong>in</strong> 2010<br />

• The ACLU estimates the total nati<strong>on</strong>al expenditure of enforc<strong>in</strong>g<br />

marijuana possessi<strong>on</strong> laws at approximately $3.613 billi<strong>on</strong>. In 2010,<br />

states spent an estimated $1,747,157,206 polic<strong>in</strong>g marijuana possessi<strong>on</strong><br />

arrests, $1,371,200,815 adjudicat<strong>in</strong>g marijuana possessi<strong>on</strong> cases, and<br />

$495,611,826 <strong>in</strong>carcerat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>dividuals for marijuana possessi<strong>on</strong>.<br />

• New York and California comb<strong>in</strong>ed spent over $1 billi<strong>on</strong> to enforce their<br />

marijuana laws <strong>in</strong> 2010. 27 Add the amount of m<strong>on</strong>ey that Texas, Ill<strong>in</strong>ois,<br />

Florida, New Jersey, Georgia, and Ohio spent, and the total is over $2<br />

billi<strong>on</strong>.<br />

• Over half of the states (27) each spent over $30 milli<strong>on</strong> <strong>in</strong> 2010 enforc<strong>in</strong>g<br />

marijuana possessi<strong>on</strong> laws.<br />

• Even when discount<strong>in</strong>g entirely all state fiscal spend<strong>in</strong>g <strong>on</strong> pris<strong>on</strong><br />

facilities, correcti<strong>on</strong>s expenditures associated with marijuana possessi<strong>on</strong><br />

enforcement are significant — California, Florida, Ill<strong>in</strong>ois, New York, and<br />

Texas, for example, each spent more than an estimated $20 milli<strong>on</strong> of<br />

state taxpayer m<strong>on</strong>ey <strong>in</strong> 2010 hous<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>dividuals <strong>in</strong> local jail and county<br />

27 Note that California’s expenditures <strong>in</strong> 2011 would be lower follow<strong>in</strong>g decrim<strong>in</strong>alizati<strong>on</strong> of possessi<strong>on</strong> of 28.5 grams or less of<br />

marijuana <strong>in</strong> 2010 and the accompany<strong>in</strong>g drop <strong>in</strong> marijuana arrests. See Kamala D. Harris, cAl. DeP’t of JUst. criM. JUst. stAtistics ctr.,<br />

criMe <strong>in</strong> cAliforniA: 2011 2 & 26 (2012), available at http://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/pdfs/cjsc/publicati<strong>on</strong>s/candd/cd11/cd11.pdf? (not<strong>in</strong>g<br />

the decl<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> misdemeanor marijuana arrests after reclassificati<strong>on</strong>).<br />

22 | The <str<strong>on</strong>g>War</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> Marijuana <strong>in</strong> Black and White

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