MARIJUANA PROHIBITION IN CALIFORNIA: RACIAL PREJUDICE AND SELECTIVE-ARRESTS.

In 1913, California outlawed marijuana on the basis of express racial animus. The federal government prohibited marijuana in 1937 on a similar basis. We hypothesize that the racism behind marijuana prohibition influences current arrests. An analysis of data from 2000-2008 in California connects the racialized origins of marijuana prohibition to current marijuana arrests. Blacks and Hispanics are significantly more likely than whites to be arrested for a marijuana offense. We conclude that marijuana prohibition is too entangled with racism to be fairly enforced today. Evaluating selective-arrests, we show evidence of institutional racism regarding marijuana prohibition in California. We argue that a medical marijuana framework should replace prohibition, returning to the policy that existed prior the beginning of prohibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]