Racism persists in states with criminal sanctions for possession of cannabis

Through Nina Zdinjak

The truth is, racism exists. Some of us don’t want that to be true, some refuse to see it, some don’t care, and then there are racists who seem to be working to keep it alive. It is hard to believe that we as a population have not progressed an inch spiritually in the 21st century.

A study published in the journal JAMA Health Forum sheds light on one of the examples of racial disparity in the United States. The research found that states that have not eliminated criminal penalties for cannabis possession have led to increases in arrest rates over the past two decades.

The researchers used race-based arrest data from the Uniform Crime Reporting Program and population data from Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results at the county level from January 2000 to December 2019 in 43 US states. They examined how arrest rates compare before and after states have decriminalized or legalized cannabis, and also among those that have not made policy changes.

Photo by Roman Budnyi/Getty Images

A team of researchers affiliated with Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk and Saint Louis University in Missouri revealed that both legalization and decriminalization policies are linked to a “sharp decrease” in the total number of adults arrested for cannabis-related violations. Additionally, it found that legalization was associated with the largest decrease in the crude disparity between black and white arrests.

“States that did not make policy changes showed no meaningful change in arrests of whites and an increase in blacks, increasing arrest rate disparities over time.”

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The study authors concluded: “This study underscores the importance of national policies to reduce arrests related to cannabis possession. … Although these results do not clearly support decriminalization or legalization, the increasing disparity in arrest rates in states without either policy underscores the need for targeted interventions to address racial injustice.”

Commenting on the findings, NORML Political Director Morgan Fox said: “While removing criminal penalties for simple cannabis possession is not a surefire solution to the racially disparate application of the law, it does result in a drastic reduction in the number of people of color who disproportionately and needlessly use it.” involved in the criminal justice system.”

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He added: “It is appalling, if not particularly surprising, that we are seeing an increase in racially disparate arrest rates in states that continue to adhere to outdated prohibition policies. Whatever the intent, it is clear that the continued criminalization of cannabis perpetuates and exacerbates the unequal enforcement of the law and the harms it brings. This is something we cannot tolerate in the 21st century, and these findings should inspire legislators to adopt sensible cannabis policy reforms.”

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.