Cannabis Legalization Cut Drug Seizures and Modestly Reduced Racial Disparities | Research

The takeaway

Adult-use cannabis legalization significantly reduced overall drug seizures, primarily by eliminating cannabis seizures, and modestly reduced the Black-white disparity in cannabis seizures.

Criminal justice reform advocates, drug policy researchers, law enforcement analysts

Legalization reduced cannabis seizures and Black-white enforcement disparities

What the researchers found

Cannabis legalization significantly reduced overall drug seizures, driven by large drops in cannabis seizures. The Black-white risk ratio for cannabis seizures decreased significantly, though Black individuals remained at higher risk for all drug seizure types. Non-cannabis seizures were mostly unchanged, except methamphetamine seizures increased.

Why it matters

Drug seizures represent the sharp end of drug enforcement policy. This study provides the first evidence on how legalization changes police behavior regarding seizures, not just arrests.

The numbers in context

16 states analyzed, 95%+ population coverage, 2017-2022. Significant reduction in cannabis seizures. Moderate but significant decrease in Black-white cannabis seizure disparity. Methamphetamine seizures increased.

How the study worked

Difference-in-differences analysis of NIBRS drug seizure data from 16 states with 95%+ population coverage (2017-2022), comparing states that legalized to those that did not.

What this study cannot tell us

NIBRS data has reporting limitations. Cannot determine whether reduced seizures reflect reduced enforcement or reduced cannabis activity. Methamphetamine increase may be confounded by supply trends.

How to read the evidence

Robust quasi-experimental design with extensive population coverage, though NIBRS reporting limitations apply.

When this study was published

2025 study analyzing 2017-2022 national incident data.

The bigger picture

Legalization reforms one piece of the criminal justice puzzle, but racial disparities persist across other drug categories. The methamphetamine seizure increase suggests police may redirect enforcement rather than reduce it overall.

Questions still open

Why did methamphetamine seizures increase after cannabis legalization? Will racial disparities in cannabis seizures continue to narrow? Does reduced enforcement change community-police relationships?

Common questions

Does cannabis legalization reduce police drug enforcement?

Yes. This study found legalization significantly reduced overall drug seizures, primarily through eliminating cannabis seizures. However, police may redirect effort, as methamphetamine seizures actually increased.

Does legalization reduce racial disparities in drug enforcement?

For cannabis specifically, legalization modestly reduced the Black-white seizure disparity. However, Black individuals remained at higher risk for seizures of all drug types, showing that broader enforcement biases persist.

Read the original research

State adult-use cannabis policy effects on law enforcement efforts to disrupt drug markets.

The International journal on drug policy, 140, 104802

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Montgomery, Barrett Wallace; Athimuthu, Pranav; Richardson, Nicholas; Ray, Bradley. (2025). State adult-use cannabis policy effects on law enforcement efforts to disrupt drug markets.. The International journal on drug policy, 140, 104802. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104802