The report finds that "between 2006 and 2015, there were nearly half a million marijuana arrests in California," citing data from the California Department of Justice. As you can see, following decriminalization in 2011 misdemeanor arrests dropped precipitously. Beyond that, the report finds sharp racial disparities in marijuana arrests, similar to what other reports have shown nationally. Legalization in California would certainly reduce the overall number of marijuana arrests. A recent UC Berkeley poll of 3,000 registered California voters found that 64 percent favored making marijuana legal for recreational use.

Source: Washington Post August 18, 2016 17:56 UTC