ALABAMA’S WAR ON MARIJUANA

ALABAMA'S WAR ON MARIJUANA

ASSESSING THE FISCAL AND HUMAN TOLL OF CRIMINALIZATION

About Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice

Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice is a non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1999 whose mission is to work to achieve justice and equity for all Alabamians. Alabama Appleseed is a member of the national Appleseed Network, which includes 18 Appleseed Centers across the U.S. and in Mexico City. Alabama Appleseed is also a member of the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law's Legal Impact Network, a collaborative of 36 advocacy organizations from across the country working with communities to end poverty and

achieve racial justice at the federal, state, and local levels.

For more information about

ALABAMA APPLESEED CENTER FOR LAW & JUSTICE



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About the Southern Poverty Law Center

The Southern Poverty Law Center, based in Montgomery, Alabama, is a nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1971 and dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, and to seeking justice for

the most vulnerable members of society.

For more information about

THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER



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About The Center for the Study of Free Enterprise at Western Carolina University

The Center for the Study of Free Enterprise at Western Carolina University supports research, policy analysis, educational activities, and community outreach on the role of free enterprise in a flourishing society. The Center supports student-faculty research projects, student club activ-

ities, and travel for conference presentations. The Center also hosts educational events and teacher training seminars on campus and around North Carolina, and it publishes issue briefs on timely economic and public policy topics. In 2018 the Center launched the North Carolina Data Dashboard () to provide county-level economic information to government

officials, prospective businesses, media, and the general public. For more about the Center's work, contact csfe@wcu.edu and visit enterprise.wcu.edu.

For more information about

THE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF FREE ENTERPRISE AT WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY

enterprise.wcu.edu

ALABAMA'S WAR ON MARIJUANA

ASSESSING THE FISCAL AND HUMAN TOLL OF CRIMINALIZATION

? 2018 Alabama Appleseed & Southern Poverty Law Center

Report Highlights

Police in Alabama made 2,351 arrests for marijuana possession in 2016. This study analyzed demographic data about the people arrested, along with arrest locations, in addition to examining broader impacts. The report also includes an economic analysis of the cost of marijuana prohibition, conducted by two economists at Western Carolina University. The study found that:

? Alabama and its municipalities spent an estimated $22 million to enforce the prohibition against marijuana possession in 2016.

? Despite studies showing black and white people use marijuana at the same rates, black people were approximately four times as likely to be arrested for either misdemeanor or felony marijuana possession.

? The enforcement of marijuana possession laws has created a crippling backlog at the state agency tasked with analyzing forensic evidence in all criminal cases, including violent crimes.

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ALABAMA'S WAR ON MARIJUANA

CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY..................................................................................... 6 ALABAMA'S MARIJUANA LAWS....................................................................... 8 THE FISCAL COST............................................................................................15 THOUSANDS ARRESTED EACH YEAR FOR MARIJUANA POSSESSION IN ALABAMA....................................................... 23 NOTES ON METHODOLOGY............................................................................ 29 LIVES SHATTERED, DREAMS DEFERRED....................................................... 33 MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION PROVING BENEFICIAL TO STATES.................. 43 RECOMMENDATIONS...................................................................................... 49

ALABAMA APPLESEED & SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER

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