In 2023, U.S. law enforcement made over 217,000 arrests for marijuana-related offenses, with possession alone accounting for 84 percent of those arrests, according to new data from the FBI. While this marks a slight decrease from the previous year, when over 227,000 marijuana arrests were reported, advocates argue that the numbers are still unacceptable given the growing public support for legalization.
In addition, the new data reveals that racial disparities in enforcement remain an ongoing issue. Black Americans, who represent about 13.6 percent of the U.S. population, accounted for 29 percent of drug arrests in 2023, according to the data. This is consistent with long-standing evidence that people of color are disproportionately targeted for cannabis-related offenses, even though usage rates between racial groups are similar.
Although the data shows a slight decline in cannabis arrests from the previous year, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano pointed out that the data provided by the FBI is incomplete. “At a time when voters and their elected officials nationwide are re-evaluating state and federal marijuana policies, it is inconceivable that government agencies are unable to produce more explicit data on the estimated costs and scope of marijuana prohibition in America,” he stated. The specific
