ACLU study: Blacks four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana Read more: ACLU study: Blacks four times more likely to be arrested for mariju

[Karee 4,191]

By Suzanne Gamboa
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Black people are arrested for possessing marijuana at a higher rate than white people, even though marijuana use by both races is about the same, the American Civil Liberties Union reports in a new study.

The ACLU's analysis of federal crime data, released Tuesday, found marijuana arrest rates for black people were 3.73 times greater than those for white people nationally in 2010. In some counties, the arrest rate was 10 to 30 times greater for blacks. In two Alabama counties, 100 percent of those arrested for marijuana possession were black, the ACLU said.

When it comes to marijuana use, about 14 percent of black people and 12 percent of white people reported in 2010 that they had used the drug during the previous year, according to data that the ACLU obtained from the National Drug Health Survey, a Health and Human Services publication. Among younger people ages 18-25, use was greater among whites.

An overall increase in marijuana possession arrests from 2001 to 2010 is largely attributable to drastic increases in arrests of black people, the ACLU said.

Blacks were arrested at a rate of 537 per 100,000 people nationally in 2001. In 2010, their arrest rate rose to 716 per 100,000. The 2001 number for white people was 191 per 100,00 and rose to 192 per 100,000 in 2010, the ACLU said. Despite the disparate rates, far more whites were arrested for marijuana possession in 2010, 460,808 compared to blacks, 286,117.

Ezekiel Edwards, lead author of the ACLU study, attributed the disparate arrest rates to racial profiling by police seeking to pad their arrest numbers with "low-level" arrests in "certain communities that they have kind of labeled as problematic."

"While this country moves in some ways in a more progressive direction on marijuana policy in a lot of places, in other places, people are getting handcuffed, jailed and getting criminal records at racially disparate rates all around the country," Edwards said.

Police simply operate from the standpoint that "the use of marijuana is a crime," said Jim Pasco, executive director of the National Fraternal Order of Police.

The ACLU supports legalization of marijuana and regulation through taxation and licensing. It also supports eliminating criminal and civil penalties for marijuana possession. If those two options are not possible, the ACLU supports punishment for marijuana possession with only civil penalties, which is often referred to as decriminalizing marijuana possession.

The unequal arrests rates are not confined to a single region of the U.S. or in urban areas with larger black populations, the ACLU said. That discrepancy is found throughout the country, regardless of the size of the black population or the location and at all income levels, the data shows.

Source:

http://www.denverpost.com/news/marijuana/ci_23389805/aclu-study-blacks-four-times-more-likely-be

[Darnell 8,479]

286,117 blacks were arrested for mj possession? #######?

[RGinWA 816]

In Washington after the legalization of MJ last year both Seattle and Tacoma dropped all charges on pending simple possession cases.

For just two counties that was 225 cases for pot possession. http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2012/11/10/marijuana-charges-in-wa-dismissed.html

That alone tells you how idiotic the war on drugs really is...even the prosecutors think those convictions are a waste of time.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Post Content intended to degrade, intimidate, or incite violence or prejudicial action against a broad demographic or group of people identified by a unifying trait or characteristic (discrimination).

[Karee 4,191]

Post Content intended to degrade, intimidate, or incite violence or prejudicial action against a broad demographic or group of people identified by a unifying trait or characteristic (discrimination).

ETA: They could remove or edit it though. Stranger things have happened.

Edited June 5, 2013 by Karee

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Post Content intended to degrade, intimidate, or incite violence or prejudicial action against a broad demographic or group of people identified by a unifying trait or characteristic (discrimination).

I think I read that in a thread that put Muslims in a bad light.

[Darnell 8,479]

that's right, spookies - all black humans that smoke pot in the usa should be feeling the discrimination already.

How is the ACLU report 'discriminatory' based on the ToS here at VJ ?

[spookyturtle 9,466]

that's right, spookies - all black humans that smoke pot in the usa should be feeling the discrimination already.

How is the ACLU report 'discriminatory' based on the ToS here at VJ ?

If it was about Muslims, it would be considered discriminatory and stereotyping. I want fair and equal discrimination, stereotyping and racism. None of this pick and choose sh!t.