TL;DR
This study investigates racial disparities in marijuana violation enforcement in the US, analyzing whether usage patterns or enforcement practices explain these disparities, and discusses policy implications and fairness considerations.
Contribution
It provides empirical evidence that disparities are not solely due to usage differences, highlighting the role of purchasing behaviors and socioeconomic factors.
Findings
Disparities cannot be explained by marijuana use alone.
Purchasing location and frequency partially explain disparities.
Disparities increased over the last decade, especially in states with legalization.
Abstract
Racial disparities in US drug arrest rates have been observed for decades, but their causes and policy implications are still contested. Some have argued that the disparities largely reflect differences in drug use between racial groups, while others have hypothesized that discriminatory enforcement policies and police practices play a significant role. In this work, we analyze racial disparities in the enforcement of marijuana violations in the US. Using data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) programs, we investigate whether marijuana usage and purchasing behaviors can explain the racial composition of offenders in police records. We examine potential driving mechanisms behind these disparities and the extent to which county-level socioeconomic factors are associated with corresponding disparities. Our…
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