California Records Fewest Felony Pot Arrests Since 1954
Law enforcement data released by the California Department of Justice reveals that in 2019 the state recorded the lowest number of felony marijuana arrests since 1954, while showing that the racial disparity at play in such arrests continues to grow.
In the department’s latest “Crime in California” report, law enforcement officials reported that 1,181 arrests for marijuana felonies were made in 2019, down 27% from 1,617 in 2018, the first year of legal recreational marijuana sales in the state. The data is not broken down by offense but includes such activities as unlicensed cannabis sales or cultivation and marijuana sales to minors.
While the total number of marijuana arrests declined last year, “the harassment went up,” said Donnie Anderson, the co-founder of the cannabis trade group California Minority Alliance.