The entire study
can be viewed at www.norml.org/facts/arrestreport/racereport/index.html
Washington, DC:
Blacks are arrested for marijuana possession at a two and
a half times greater rate than whites, according to a new
study published by the National Organization for the
Reform of Marijuana Laws. Based on 1995
Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Report
(UCR) data from 700 metropolitan counties, Jon Gettman,
Ph.D., a public policy analyst and former NORML director,
calculated the ratio of black arrest rates to white
arrest rates from 1,076,816 out of a total 1,476,199 drug
arrests reported by the UCR. This is the most recent data
set to include UCR data, U.S. Census data and the
National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. The full report
is available at www.norml.org. Some important findings of this
report: * The black arrest rate for all drug offenses is four
times the arrest rate for whites. *Black arrest rate for marijuana is more than twice
the white arrest rate in over 4/5 of metropolitan
counties. Marijuana Possession Arrests
Marijuana Sales Arrests
State Rankings
The states with highest black arrest rate for
marijuana possession are: The states with lowest black arrest rate for
marijuana possession are: "Racial
disparities in drug arrests represent a serious threat to
the integrity of the criminal justice system that should
concern all Americans," said the report's author Jon
Gettman, Ph.D. "The differences in arrest rates
between blacks and whites are significant, stark and
unambiguous. In the United States, black drug users face
a far greater chance of encountering the criminal justice
system than white drug users. Sadly, in this area,
justice is not blind." For more
information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML
Foundation Executive Director, at (202) 483-8751 or visit
www.norml.org/facts/arrestreport/racereport/index.html
to read the executive
summary, full report and state tables. ELECTION (marijuana
results) 2000 Marijuana Legalization
Medical Marijuana Nevada -Question 9: YES: 65%
(381,908) NO: 35% (202,204) (100% reporting)
The initiative to amends the state's constitution, to
allow patients with a doctor's recommendation to use
marijuana medicinally. Nevadans gave initial approval to
the initiative in 1998 (59 percent approval), but since
this initiative is being offered as an amendment to the
state constitution, it must be approved by voters in two
consecutive elections. For more information, please
contact Dan Hart, campaign manager for Nevadans for
Medical Rights at (702) 259-0300. Substance Abuse Programs and Asset
Forfeiture Reform: California - Proposition 36, the Substance Abuse
and Crime Prevention Act: YES: 60.8% NO: 39.2% Allows
first and second-time non-violent drug offenders to enter
drug treatment programs instead of prison. For more
information, please contact Dave Fratello, spokesman for
Campaign for New Drug Policies at (310) 394-2954.
Massachusetts - Question 8: NO: 53% YES: 47%
- Sought to reform civil asset forfeiture laws by
requiring that forfeited property be sold with the
proceeds deposited in a newly created drug treatment
trust fund, instead of benefiting the police who make the
seizure. The initiative would have provided drug
treatment diversion for low level, first- and second-time
drug offenders. For more information, please contact
Thomas R. Kiley or Rob Stewart, of the Committee for
Forfeiture Reform at (617) 439-7775. Oregon - The Oregon Property Protection Act
(Measure 3): YES: 66% NO: 34% Reforms current
civil asset forfeiture laws. A criminal conviction must
be obtained before authorities could seize property;
forfeitures must be proportional to the crime; and all
proceeds will go to drug treatment programs. For more
information, please contact Geoff Sugerman at (503)
778-5616. Utah - Initiative B, the Utah Property
Protection Act: YES 68.9% NO: 31.1% Reforms
current civil asset forfeiture laws. The initiative
requires law enforcement to prove that a crime had
occurred before property can be forfeited. All drug money
will be diverted into a public education campaign instead
of going back to the police. For more information, please
contact Carter Livingston of Utahns for Property
Protection at (810) 232-8152. Local Initiatives and Policy
Questions: Massachusetts - An advisory decriminalization of
marijuana question will appear in the Fourth Essex
Representative District: YES: 61% NO: 39%, the
Second Middlesex Senatorial District: YES: 67% NO: 33%
and the Sixth Middlesex Representative District: YES: 68%
NO: 32%. The elected officials are encouraged to lobby
the state legislature to make possession of marijuana a
civil violation as opposed to a criminal offense. A
medical marijuana question will appear on the Fourth
Barnstable Representative District: YES 59% NO: 41%. For
more information, please contact Steven Epstein, Esq., at
(978) 685-9696. History of
assinine MARIJUANA LAWS! RACISM
WAS USED TO CREATE THE MARIJUANA LAWS! RACIST
PROPAGANDA ADVERTISEMENTS -SEE IDIOT AD'S 
RACIST MARIJUANA LAWS
New Study Reveals Blacks Arrested For
Marijuana At More Than Twice The Rate For Whites
*When controlling for drug use levels, the black arrest
rates for drug offenses increases with the severity of
the offense.
* When controlling for drug use levels, the black arrest
rate for all drug possession offenses is 2.89 times
higher than the white arrest rate.
* Black arrest rates are generally lower in jurisdictions
with large black populations, but regardless of the
racial composition level the black arrest rate for any
drug offense it is typically twice or greater than the
white arrest rate for the same offense in the same
jurisdiction.
*The disparity between black and white arrest rates for
drug offenses increases with the severity of the
offense.
*In metro area counties blacks are arrested for marijuana
sales at a rate 3.6 times more than whites. In counties
where the black population is at least 1/3 of the entire
of the population, blacks are 4.1 times more likely than
whites to get arrested for marijuana sales.
Among the metro counties with at least
a population of 500,000 with available data the greatest
disparities between black and white arrest rates are
found within 90 miles from each other in central and
western New York state in Onondaga County, NY (Syracuse)
at 10.61 blacks for every one white arrest and Monroe
County, NY (Rochester) at 5.63. Rounding out the top 10
greatest disparities in black and white marijuana
possession arrest rates were Cuyahoga County, OH
(Cleveland) at 5.56, Hennepin County, MN (Minneapolis) at
5.31, Fulton County, GA (Atlanta) at 5.12, Hartford
County, CT (Hartford) at 4.56, Allegheny County, PA
(Pittsburgh) at 4.43, Washington, DC at 4.05, Hamilton
County, OH (Cincinnati) at 3.79 and Jackson County, MO
(Kansas City) at 3.74. Fifty-six counties had over
100 marijuana arrests, a black population of over 1,000
and the marijuana possession arrest rate for blacks of at
least five times that for whites. Lake County, OH, which
includes part of Cleveland as well as Lorain and Elyria
had a ratio of 19.77 black arrests to white. Rounding out
the top 10 were, St. Joseph County, IN (South Bend) at
11.27, Minnehaha County, SD (Sioux Falls) at 10.71,
Onondaga County (Syracuse) at 10.61, Albany County, NY
(Albany, Schenectady and Troy) at 10.56, St. Louis
County, MN (Duluth and Superior) at 10.34, Bay County, MN
(Saginaw, Bay City and Midland) at 8.54, Douglas County,
NE (Omaha) at 8.39, Cecil County, MD (Wilmington and
Newark) at 8.16 and Schenectady County, NY (Albany,
Schenectady and Troy) at 8.0.
Among counties with a minimum of 100
marijuana arrests and a black population of at least
1,000 blacks are between 6.5 and 35 times more likely to
get arrested for marijuana distribution than whites.
Broome County, NY (Binghamton), had the highest ratio of
black to white arrests at 34.70. In all, 12 counties had
ratios over nine. They were: Broward County, FL (Ft.
Lauderdale) at 20.35, Erie County, PA (Erie) at 14.08,
Plymouth County, MA (Boston) at 12.33, Cobb County, GA
(Atlanta) at 12.24, Mercer County, NJ (Trenton) at 12.18,
Washington, DC at 12.11, Orange County, FL (Orlando) at
9.83, New York County, NY (New York) at 9.69, Lancaster
County, PA (Lancaster) at 9.51, Monroe County, NY
(Rochester) at 9.20 and Kent County, MI (Grand Rapids,
Muskegon and Holland) at 9.18.
1. Nebraska (2,167) 2. S. Dakota
(1,541) 3. Wyoming (962.03) 4. Iowa (836.84) 5. Colorado
(755.98)
1. Vermont (0.00) 2. Hawaii (51.36) 3.
Maine 85.74) 4. New Mexico (139.57) 5. Pennsylvania
(148.92)
Nevada and Colorado Pass Medical
Marijuana Initiatives
Here are the final ballot
initiative results from Tuesday's NOV 7 election:
Alaska -(ONLY
LOSS !) Ballot Measure No. 5: NO:
60.79% (133,668) Yes: 39.21% (86,216) (80% reporting)
The initiative would have legalized marijuana,
eliminated penalties for possession, use, cultivation and
sale. All non-violent marijuana offenders who are
currently incarcerated would have been released from jail.
Colorado - Amendment 20: YES: 54% (898,100) NO: 46%
(777,400) (99% reporting) Amends the Colorado
Constitution to authorize the medical use of marijuana
for patients who have a doctor's recommendation and
suffer from cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, multiple
sclerosis and chronic nervous system disorders. Patients
will be allowed to possess up to two ounces of marijuana
or cultivate six plants. For more information, please
contact Luther Symons, president of Coloradoans for
Medical Rights at (303) 832-2444.
California - Measure G in Mendocino County, CA:
YES: 58.35% NO 41.65% Allows citizens to grow
up to 25 marijuana plants for personal use. The district
attorney's office will be instructed to make marijuana
enforcement their lowest priority. For more information,
please contact Dale Gieringer, California NORML State
Coordinator at (415) 563-5858. 
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