Arrest data released by the California Department of Justice show there were 1,181 felony marijuana arrests in California in 2019, down 27% from 2018, of 1,617 arrests and the lowest number since 1954.
(AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)LOS ANGELES The number of felony marijuana arrests in California continued to decline in 2019 in the age of legalization, but another trend remained unchanged: those arrests fell disproportionately on Hispanics and Blacks, state data showed.
According to a breakdown of demographic data, Hispanics accounted for nearly 42% of those arrests, followed by Blacks, at 22%, with whites at 21%.
Misdemeanor marijuana arrests were down slightly in 2019: They numbered 3,769, versus 3,835 in 2018, NORML said.
The number of felony arrests last year marked the lowest figure since 1954, NORML said.