According to data released by the F.B.I., the total number of persons arrested in the U.S. for violating marijuana laws rose again in 2018 for the third consecutive year to 663,367, far eclipsing the total number of people arrested for the commission of all violent crimes (521,103). Ninety percent (90%) of those arrested for cannabis-related activities were arrested for marijuana possession offenses only. In the northeast, marijuana-related arrests constituted fifty-three percent (53%) of all drug arrests. As we know, the arrest rates have typically disproportionately impacted racial minorities.
