An African American is four times more likely to be cited for marijuana possession than a white person, in the city of Fresno, California. This according to an analysis by the Drug Policy Alliance and the American Civil Liberties Union, which searches for racial, ethnic, and age disparities in marijuana policing. Low-level marijuana possession in the state of California was recently reduced from a misdemeanor to an infraction. However, possession of under one ounce of marijuana is now punishable by a fine as much as $100. Misdemeanor arrests for marijuana possession have fallen dramatically since the change in the legislature.
White people consume marijuana at similar if not the same rates as African Americans. However, both races show more signs of cannabis use than Latinos, according to the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Data from 2011-2012 show young blacks in Latinos issue more citations than whites, a report that the Fresno Police declined to comment on. Fresno data analyzed by the Alliance report that per capita, black people are cited 3.6 times more often than white people. The vast majority of citations (90%) being issued to men and boys, similar figures to the city of Los Angeles.
Amanda Reiman, the manager of marijuana law and policy at the Drug Policy Alliance, said that Fresno is just a small part of the bigger issue. Police don’t necessarily aim towards citing people of color smoking cannabis. But rather the report goes into detail about hidden racial biases that need to be changed for the better. “Some people might think marijuana is all but legal in California. But some are still getting in trouble for it more often than others. If you don’t think there’s discrimination in Fresno, think again,” she said.
In Fresno, a marijuana infraction carries a fine of at least $70, but depending on the person’s prior convictions, coupled with the cost of court fees, the arrested can pay as much as $500. Though these infractions don’t come with jail time, it can still pose a burden to those that are charged. Most come from low-income households. Over half of the marijuana infractions were 29 or younger, 25 percent being between the ages of 16 and 21. Neiman said she asked all major cities in California to provide data to the Drug Policy Alliance. However, none but Fresno and Los Angeles reported back any information.
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