Study: In MN, Blacks Far More Likely To Be Arrested For Pot Than Whites
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A new study finds significantly more blacks than whites are arrested for marijuana possession in Minnesota.
According to FBI statistics, blacks are 6.4 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than whites, which is one of the nation's highest disparities.
Minnesota 2020, a nonpartisan think tank, says blacks account for 27 percent of marijuana possession arrests, but are only 6 percent of Minnesota's population.
The study says a marijuana conviction can cost a person more than $70,000, from loss of employment and other consequences.
"Since blacks are so much more likely than whites to experience a marijuana possession arrest, they are so much more likely than whites to experience these costs, and this compels us to consider marijuana laws & their enforcement within a civil rights framework," Nicole Simms of Minnesota 2020 said.