Author: Ellen Connell

Cannabis Legislation & Racial Disparities in LA County

Supporters of Proposition 64 positioned marijuana legalization as a criminal justice issue while critics warned it would only benefit the wealthiest of marijuana consumers and sellers. To explore the impact of cannabis legalization and regulation has had on communities of color in LA, I analyzed marijuana arrest data from 2010 to 2019, comparing the racial and ethnic proportions in arrestees before and after legalization.