New American Medical Association Study Finds That Legalizing Marijuana Reduces Race-Based Arrests

Cannabis legalization and racial justice are two major topics that have been discussed and argued throughout the nation for decades on end. A study recorded by the American Medical Association highlights an unsettling correlation between the two. The disproportionate rates of marijuana-related arrests amongst Black Americans emphasize an injustice that must be corrected, and legalization may pose more significant benefits than what scrapes the surface.
States that have decided to legalize or decriminalize marijuana have seen a significant decrease in race-based arrests in comparison to states that have not yet moved toward legalization. Researchers from Eastern Virginia Medical School and Saint Louis University analyzed racial trends surrounding cannabis arrests in legal states and recorded 561 fewer arrests per 100,000 Black people and 195 fewer arrests for white people from 2008 to 2019. Additionally, researchers reported 449 fewer arrests for Black people and 117 for white people in states that have enforced decriminalization, a significant discrepancy that must be brought to light. The Journal of the American Medical Association Health Forum released the study and summarized its results:

"Among states without a policy change, arrest rates increased over time for Black adults and remained stable for White adults...Overall, results revealed that states that implemented a cannabis policy change saw large decreases in arrests compared with states that had no policy reform."

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