Not Legal Yet: Nearly 500,000 Marijuana Arrests in California in the Last Decade

OAKLAND, CA — A new report by the Drug Policy Alliance shows that there were nearly half a million marijuana felony and misdemeanor arrests in California between 2006 and 2015. Thousands of Californians are arrested annually for marijuana misdemeanors and felonies. These arrests are not equal. Black and Latino Californians are arrested for marijuana offenses at disproportionately high rates.

In addition, youth under 18 years of age now make up the majority of misdemeanor arrestees.

In 1996 California became the first state to legalize…