An Examination of Racial Disparities in Misdemeanor Marijuana Possession Arrests Following Reforms in Four U.S. Jurisdictions

Kristyn A. Jones; Darren Agboh; Meredith Patten; Preeti Chauhan

doi:10.1515/jdpa-2021-0008

Article

An Examination of Racial Disparities in Misdemeanor Marijuana Possession Arrests Following Reforms in Four U.S. Jurisdictions

Kristyn A. Jones , Darren Agboh , Meredith Patten and Preeti Chauhan

Published/Copyright: December 27, 2021

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From the journal Journal of Drug Policy Analysis Volume 14 Issue 1

Abstract

Using data from New York, NY; Los Angeles, CA; Prince George’s County, MD; and Louisville, KY, we examine trends in racial disparities in the enforcement of misdemeanor marijuana possessionbefore and after marijuana reforms. In these jurisdictions, we find that changes to marijuana enforcement were associated with reductions in arrest rates for Black, Hispanic, and White people, though the rate of decline varied by jurisdiction. Black people were arrested at the highest rates in relation to their proportion of the population. In three of the four jurisdictions where issuing criminal citations was an enforcement option, racial/ethnic disparities in arrest rates increased post-reforms; legalization and the option to issue a civil citation were associated with reductions in racial/ethnic disparities. Trends in this study provide policymakers with information to implement effective reforms that target racial disparities in marijuana possession arrests.

Keywords: enforcement; marijuana; reforms; racial disparities; arrests; legalization; decriminalization; depenalization

Corresponding author: Preeti Chauhan, PhD, The Data Collaborative for Justice, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York, NY 10019, USA, E-mail: pchauhan@jjay.cuny.edu

Funding source: Arnold Ventures

Acknowledgments

We thank Michael Lens, James Lynch, Meghan Kozlowski, Brian Schaefer, and Thomas W. Hughes for their assistance with providing the data. We are also thankful for the individuals at the Data Collaborative for Justice for their expertise and comments on earlier drafts of this work.

Research funding: This paper is made possible by generous funding provided by Arnold Ventures. The New York City data is provided by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not those of DCJS or Arnold Ventures. Neither New York State nor DCJS assumes liability for its contents or use thereof.
Competing interests: None declared.

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Received: 2021-10-05

Accepted: 2021-12-01

Published Online: 2021-12-27

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/jdpa-2021-0008

Keywords for this article

enforcement; marijuana; reforms; racial disparities; arrests; legalization; decriminalization; depenalization