How Much Does Marijuana Prohibition Cost The U.S. Annually?
Increased marijuana enforcement is associated with greater fiscal and social costs. State and local justice costs for marijuana arrests are now estimated to be $7.6 billion, approximately $10,400 per arrest. Of this total, annual police costs are $3.7 billion, judicial/legal costs are $853 million, and correctional costs are $3.1 billion. In both California and New York, state fiscal costs dedicated to criminal marijuana law enforcement annually total over $1 billion for each state. The Costs? The Benefits? The social costs of criminal marijuana enforcement include demographic impacts and their effects on society. Marijuana possession and sales arrest disproportionately impact young males as well as black adults. These disproportionate impacts nurture alienation from the rule of law. Among the demographic groups most adversely impacted, males age 18 are .7% of the population and 3.1% of annual marijuana users, but comprise 8.1% of all marijuana possession arrests. Males aged 24 to 29 a
