After analyzing arrest data throughout the United States for the year 2018, members of the American Civil Liberties Union found some troubling information when it came to how police managed marijuana arrests. They found that black people were 5.4 times more likely than whites to be arrested in Minnesota for marijuana possession. Moreover, they found that both groups used marijuana at similar rates.
The disparity in Minnesota ranks as the eighth-largest in the United States, according to the ACLU data.
“Minnesota continues to vigorously enforce marijuana laws, which disproportionately target Black communities and entangle hundreds of thousands of people in the criminal legal system every year at a tremendous cost,” said ACLU-MN chief programs officer Benjamin Feist in a news release.
Looking At The Counties
Here’s a closer look at some of the data on a local level, which shows even more concerning statistics:
- In Goodhue County, black people are 11.19 times more likely to face a marijuana possession arrest than whites.
- In Carver County, black people are 7.1 times more likely to face a marijuana possession arrest than whites.
- In Hennepin County, black people are 7 times more likely to face a marijuana possession arrest than whites.
- In Dakota County, black people are 5 times more likely to face a marijuana possession arrest than whites.
The worst ratio we could find was in Lincoln County, where black people were 144 times more likely to face a marijuana possession arrest than whites, although researchers noted that they did not have enough data in this county to report it as part of their larger findings.
The lone bright spot in the findings? We’re actually in a better place now than we were a decade ago. Back in 2010, black people were 7.8 times more likely to be arrested than their white counterparts.
Needless to say, African Americans are being unfairly targeted by police when it comes to marijuana arrests. If you believe that you or someone you know has been unfairly targeted and are now facing criminal charges, don’t just pay the fine and plead guilty. Let us fight for your rights, because you deserve the same treatment as anyone else. If you’d like to learn more about we can do for you in the wake of marijuana or other criminal charges, set up a free case review session by calling our firm at (952) 224-2277.
