FBI: Marijuana-Related Arrests Comprised Over 40 Percent of All Drug Arrests in More Than a Dozen States in 2023

Marijuana-related arrests far outpace arrests for other drug-related violations in jurisdictions where its possession and use remains illegal.

In three states (Iowa, Louisiana, and Nebraska), more than half of all drug-related arrests reported by local law enforcement agencies were cannabis-related, according to data provided by the FBI for the year 2023.

In ten other states (Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Carolina, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming), more than 40 percent of all drug-related arrests were for marijuana-related violations.

By comparison, marijuana-related arrests typically comprise only a small percentage of arrests in states where its personal possession has been legalized. For instance, in Arizona, California, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont, marijuana-related arrests comprised fewer than three percent of all drug-related arrests in 2023.

Commenting on the data, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: “Marijuana-related prosecutions remain the primary driver of drug war enforcement in those states where marijuana-related activities remain criminalized. It is shameful that hundreds of thousands of Americans continue to be arrested annually in these jurisdictions for cannabis-related violations that the majority of voters no longer believe should be a crime.”

A state-by-state breakdown of 2023 marijuana arrest data is available online from NORML.