There is One Cannabis Arrest Every 49 Seconds

Although the recent election showed that medical and recreational cannabis legalization is more popular than ever, a recent FBI report revealed that there is still one cannabis arrest every 49 seconds in the U.S.

Additionally, out of all the drug busts in 2015, 39 percent of the 1.5 million were for cannabis, even though many states were already legal in some respect at the time. Only 19 percent of the arrests were for heroin, and only five percent were for cocaine. Clearly, people are getting arrested more frequently for cannabis than for dangerous, hard drugs that can lead to addiction or overdose.

Additionally, as many already know, an un-proportionally high number of those arrested for cannabis are people of color. The study shows that out of all cannabis arrests, Latinos and African Americans are 3.73 percent more likely to be arrested than Caucasians. This contributes to an overall feeling of distrust for law enforcement in non-white communities.

This issue still persists, despite the fact that in recent surveys, over 30 million Americans have admitted to smoking cannabis. In fact, a 2013 survey shows that cannabis arrests cost taxpayers over $3.6 billion. When legal states are generating tax revenue instead of causing people to pay more taxes, the answer to the issue of cannabis arrests seems obvious.

In addition to the hefty cost of cannabis arrests, the fact that it is insane to arrest people in some parts of the country for what is legal in others and the racist nature of cannabis arrests, having this type of mark on a permanent record can also be extremely detrimental. As even more states have finally legalized cannabis this past November, arrest numbers will continue to shrink, and fewer people will have their lives ruined due to cannabis possession.