This is an incredible and sadly accurate study from the ACLU studying marijuana possession arrests and prosecutions in the United States.
In 2010 PA arrested or charged approximately 22,000 people with possession offenses, at a cost of over 100 million dollars (possession only – not including felonies).
What’s particularly offensive is the 5 to 1 arrest ratio of minorities to whites here in PA.
Locally we’re a little better, but despite similar usage rates a black man in Allegheny County is 4 times more likely to be charged with Simple Possession of a Small Amount than his white colleague.