Sharp drop in marijuana possession arrests in Colorado

A new report from the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) shows a sharp decline in the number of arrests for marijuana possession in Colorado and highlights the positive aspects of its decriminalization.

The main conclusions of the report are:

• Since 2010, marijuana possession charges have dropped by 90%; marijuana cultivation charges by 96%; and marijuana trafficking charges by 99%.

• The number of marijuana possession cases in Colorado courts has dropped by more than 25,000 since 2010 – from 30,428 cases in 2010 to just 1,922 trials in 2014.

• According to the National Incident-Based Reporting System, drug-related incidents have dropped by 23% since 2010, and the number of those involving marijuana has dropped by 53%.

• In 2010, the top five counties in Colorado with the most marijuana possession convictions were: El Paso, Jefferson, Adams, Larimer, and Boulder. The number of these convictions dropped by at least 83% between 2010 and 2014.

• To the relief of advocates for the rights of people of color who fear a “net expansion” effect after marijuana legalization, the number of charges filed against young people of color did not increase during the period under review. The number of people of color involved in incidents fell from 87 per 100,000 people in 2012 to 25 per 100,000 in 2014.

• Racial disparities persist in minor and still-illegal marijuana-related charges (more people of color are charged than whites). This is largely due to the increased number of public marijuana charges, as well as the disproportionate concentration of police in neighborhoods of color. In 2014, 2.4 times more people of color were arrested than whites. The ratio was the same in 2010.

• The report also shows a decline in arrests on synthetic marijuana charges, perhaps because individuals are less likely to resort to synthetic marijuana consumption now that marijuana itself has been decriminalized.

According to Art Way, the Colorado DPA’s state director, “It is heartwarming to see tens of thousands of otherwise law-abiding Coloradans spared the travesty of being handcuffed or prosecuted for possession of a small amount of marijuana. By focusing on public health rather than criminalization, Colorado is in a better position to address the potential harms of marijuana use while avoiding many of the most severe aspects of the War on Drugs.”

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