Hundreds of thousands of Americans continue to have their lives disrupted by senseless marijuana arrests, primarily arrests for low-level marijuana possession.
According to the latest arrest data compiled by the FBI, state and local law enforcement made over 200,000 marijuana-related arrests in 2024. Ninety-two percent of those arrests were for possession only.
While this annual total represents a 50-year low, it’s apparent that more work still needs to be done. While cannabis-related arrests in legal states have fallen nearly to zero, marijuana-related arrests — and minor marijuana possession arrests especially — largely continue unabated in prohibition states.
For example, in Texas, police made 27,300 marijuana-related arrests in 2024. Ninety-eight percent of those arrested were charged with low-level marijuana possession.
In Indiana, 96 percent of the more than 9,000 people arrested for cannabis violations were charged with possession only. Nearly half of all drug arrests in the state were marijuana-related.
In Georgia, nearly 10,500 people were arrested for marijuana violations in 2024 — totaling more than 40 percent of all drug arrests statewide.
In Alabama, 98 percent of the 7,500 people arrested for marijuana violations were charged with possession only.
In Wisconsin, police made nearly 11,000 marijuana-related arrests; 95 percent of them were for minor possession.
The list goes on and on.
For more than 50 years, NORML has maintained that the greatest harm posed by cannabis is being arrested for possessing it. In nearly half the jurisdictions in this country, your generous donations have helped NORML bring about life-altering policy changes — expanding freedoms and liberties for tens of millions of Americans. But our work is not done until no responsible consumer faces the threat and indignity of a marijuana arrest.
That is why we need your support today. We are living in uncertain political and economic times, and we need your help to navigate them successfully. We stand with you, the cannabis consumer and we are fighting daily to end decades of criminalization and stigma. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Help us continue to advocate for personal freedom and liberty, and help us work toward a future where no one goes to jail simply for the responsible use of marijuana. Please make a generous donation to NORML today.
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