While cannabis legalization reduced absolute racial disparities in possession arrests in DC and LA, new public consumption arrests emerged with significant racial disparities.
Criminal justice researchers, cannabis policy advocates, and racial equity organizations.
9.1 relative disparityin public consumption arrests between Black and white residents in DC after legalization
What the researchers found
Both cities saw decreased absolute disparity in possession arrests post-legalization. However, public consumption arrests emerged with significant racial disparities: in DC, 4.0 more Black than white arrests per month; in LA, relative disparity of 6.7.
Why it matters
Cannabis legalization aimed to reduce racial disparities in enforcement, but the shift from possession to public consumption arrests may simply move the disparity to a new violation category.
The numbers in context
DC data 2012-2019, LA data 2010-2019. DC public consumption: absolute +4.0 more Black arrests/month, relative disparity 9.1. LA public consumption: absolute +0.6, relative disparity 6.7. Possession arrest disparities decreased in both cities.
How the study worked
Analysis of publicly available police department arrest data from DC Metropolitan Police (2012-2019) and LA Police (2010-2019), comparing average monthly arrest rates by race across legal status changes.
Who was studied
Cannabis arrest data from Washington DC and Los Angeles police departments across racial groups.
What this study cannot tell us
Two cities may not represent national trends. Arrest data reflects enforcement patterns, not actual behavior. Cannot account for all confounders affecting arrest rates.
How to read the evidence
Descriptive analysis of publicly available arrest data; straightforward methodology but limited to two cities.
When this study was published
Covers arrest data through 2019-2020 in two major US cities.
The bigger picture
This study reveals that cannabis legalization social justice goals are only partially achieved when new enforcement categories emerge that reproduce racial disparities in policing.
Replication
Two-city analysis; broader national analysis would strengthen conclusions.
Funding
Not specified in abstract
Conflicts of interest
Not specified in abstract
Questions still open
- Should cannabis legalization include protections against racially disparate enforcement of new cannabis violations?
- Are public consumption arrests being used as a substitute for possession arrests?
Read the original research
A tale of two cities: Racialized arrests following decriminalization and recreational legalization of cannabis.
Drug and alcohol dependence, 249, 109911
Citation
Joshi, Spruha; Doonan, Samantha M; Pamplin, John R. (2023). A tale of two cities: Racialized arrests following decriminalization and recreational legalization of cannabis.. Drug and alcohol dependence, 249, 109911. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.109911