Cannabis decriminalization cut arrests by 70% for adults and reduced racial disparities by 17%
Decriminalization reduced cannabis possession arrests by over 70% for adults and 40% for youth, and reduced the Black-White arrest disparity by about 17% among adults but not youth.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
After decriminalization in 11 states, adult arrest rates declined over 70% and youth rates over 40% for both Black and White individuals. Among adults, decriminalization was associated with a roughly 17% decrease in the Black-White arrest rate ratio. Among youth, no change in racial disparity was observed despite overall arrest reductions.
Key Numbers
37 U.S. states, 11 decriminalized during study period. Adult arrests: -70%+ overall. Youth arrests: -40%+ overall. Adult racial disparity: -17%. Youth racial disparity: no change.
How They Did This
Difference-in-differences analysis using FBI Uniform Crime Report data from 37 U.S. states (2000-2019). Cannabis possession arrest rates calculated separately for Black and White adults and youth. Estimated association between decriminalization and racial disparity in arrest rates.
Why This Research Matters
Black Americans are disproportionately arrested for cannabis despite similar use rates to White Americans. Decriminalization reduced this disparity for adults, though not for youth.
The Bigger Picture
The persistent racial disparity among youth despite decriminalization suggests that other policing practices or enforcement patterns contribute to racial inequities beyond cannabis law alone.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
FBI data has known reporting gaps. Cannot control for all confounders. Different states decriminalized at different thresholds and with different penalty structures.
Questions This Raises
- ?Why does decriminalization reduce racial disparities for adults but not youth?
- ?What additional policies are needed to address racial equity in youth enforcement?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 70%+ arrest reduction for adults; 17% decrease in racial disparity
- Evidence Grade:
- Strong quasi-experimental design using 20 years of FBI data across 37 states.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2022 with data from 2000-2019.
- Original Title:
- Cannabis decriminalization and racial disparity in arrests for cannabis possession.
- Published In:
- Social science & medicine (1982), 293, 114672 (2022)
- Authors:
- Gunadi, Christian(4), Shi, Yuyan(18)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-03890
Evidence Hierarchy
Looks back at existing records to find patterns.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does decriminalization reduce racial disparities?
Partially. Among adults, decriminalization reduced the Black-White arrest ratio by about 17%. Among youth, arrests declined for both races but the racial disparity did not change.
How much did arrests decrease?
Cannabis possession arrest rates declined over 70% among adults and over 40% among youth after decriminalization, for both Black and White individuals.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-03890APA
Gunadi, Christian; Shi, Yuyan. (2022). Cannabis decriminalization and racial disparity in arrests for cannabis possession.. Social science & medicine (1982), 293, 114672. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114672
MLA
Gunadi, Christian, et al. "Cannabis decriminalization and racial disparity in arrests for cannabis possession.." Social science & medicine (1982), 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114672
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabis decriminalization and racial disparity in arrests f..." RTHC-03890. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/gunadi-2022-cannabis-decriminalization-and-racial
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.