San Francisco, CA: Black and Latino Californians are arrested for violating state marijuana laws at rates far higher than those of Whites, according to an analysis of annual arrest data provided by California NORML.
Of those charged with felony marijuana violations in 2025, 74 percent were either Black or Latino. Among those charged with misdemeanor cannabis offenses, 68 percent were either Black or Latino.
“Weighted for their populations, in 2025 Blacks were 6.4 times more likely as Whites to be arrested for marijuana crimes in California, a jump from 2024, when they were 5.2 times as likely,” California NORML’s analysis reported. “The disparity for Latinos also saw a jump in 2025, when they were 2.26 times more likely to be arrested than Whites, versus 1.97 times in 2024.”
“That the injustice of these racial disparities in cannabis arrests continues to exist, and has even worsened since legalization, is appalling,” said California NORML’s Deputy Director Ellen Komp. “Prop. 64’s goals included bringing justice and equity to communities and individuals impacted by the War on Drugs. We must do better.”
Overall, total marijuana-related arrests have declined dramatically in California since the adoption of adult-use legalization – falling from over 13,000 annually to under 3,000 annually.
Full text of the analysis is available from California NORML. Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Racial Disparity in Marijuana Arrests.’