Data Shows Growing Racial Bias In Pot Busts

Blacks are almost four times as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than whites are, even though a similar percentage of both groups use the drug, according to a review of federal data by the American Civil Liberties Union. The report also found that in some states, including Iowa and Minnesota, blacks were eight times as likely to be arrested, and that, far from going away, the gap between black and white marijuana arrests has actually grown since the last decade. The study's lead author said the findings show that state and local governments across the country spend billions every year "enforcing marijuana laws in a racially biased manner."