Although the number of people arrested for cannabis crimes in California has dramatically declined since the voters legalized adult use and sales of cannabis in 2016, people of Latino descent are more than twice as likely as Whites to be arrested for cannabis crimes in California, and Blacks are more than five times more likely. These racial disparities have worsened since legalization.
According to the 2025 Crime in California report released by California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta on July 1, the felony marijuana arrest rate decreased 13.3% in 2025 (440 in 2024 to 399 in 2025).
Of the 399 felony arrestees (Table 31):
65 were White (16.3%)
179 were Hispanic (44.9%)
114 were Black (28.6%)
Misdemeanor marijuana arrests rose from 1,929 in 2024 to 2,033 in 2025. Of those (Table 34):
340 were White (16.7%)
983 were Hispanic (48.4%)
396 were Black (19.5%)
The felony level marijuana offenses arrested for were for violations of Health and Safety Codes: 11358(d) (cultivating over 6 plants); 11359(c) (possession for sale), 11359(d) (sales), 11360(a)* (importing cannabis – *can be either a felony or a misdemeanor); 11361(a) & 11361(b) (hiring or selling to minors), and 11362.4(d) (manufacturing with a volatile solvent).
The misdemeanor arrests were for Health and Safety Codes: 11357(b) & 11357(c) (possession of more than 28.5 grams of cannabis, or more than eight grams of concentrated cannabis); 11357.5(a) & 11357.5(b) (selling or possessing synthetic cannabis); 11358(c) & 11359(b) (growing over 6 cannabis plants), 11360(a)* (importing cannabis – *can be either a felony or a misdemeanor); 11362.4(c) (smoking in a public place); and 11362.77(a) (exceeding patient/caregiver possession/cultivation limits); also Revenue and Tax codes 34014(a) and 34016(b), 34016(d) & 34016(e).
ARREST DISPARITIES KEEP INCREASING SINCE LEGALIZATION FOR BLACKS AND LATINOS
US Census numbers also released on July 1 estimate that California’s current population is 39,355,309. Latinos are estimated to be 41.2% of that population, Whites are at 32.5% and Blacks at 6.4%.
Weighted for their populations, in 2025 Blacks were 6.4 times more likely as Whites to be arrested for marijuana crimes in California, a jump from 2024, when they were 5.2 times as likely. The disparity for Latinos also saw a jump in 2025, when they were 2.26 times more likely to be arrested than Whites, versus 1.97 times in 2024.
Latinos are, year after year, the most-arrested race for cannabis, with 1162 marijuana arrests within that group in 2025, an increase from 1112 in 2024.
In 2016, before Prop. 64 took effect, the arrest disparities were only 3.51 times for Blacks and 1.43 for Latinos. Those numbers began to jump in 2017 after legalization, when Blacks were 3.83 times more likely than Whites to be arrested, and Latinos were 1.54 times as likely.
JUVENILE NUMBERS EVEN WORSE
Among the felony marijuana arrests in 2025, 9 (2.3%) were juveniles under 18, and 36 (9.0%) were ages 18-19 (Table 32). Only 3 Blacks and 4 Whites under 20 years old were arrested for cannabis felonies, while 37 Hispanic juveniles were arrested. A total of 165 (8.1%) of misdemeanor arrests were in the under 18 age group, and 234 (11.5%) were age 18-19 (Table 34). Only 47 Blacks and 59 Whites under 20 were among those arrested, while 271 young Hispanics were.
For total juvenile marijuana arrests (ages 10-19) in 2025, of 444 total arrests, 69.4% were from the Latino population. In 2024, that figure was 66.8% and has also been rising, e.g. from 2021 (60.2%) and 2020 (61%).
“That the injustice of these racial disparities in cannabis arrests continues to exist, and has even worsened since legalization, is appalling,” said Cal NORML deputy director Ellen Komp. “Prop. 64’s goals included bringing justice and equity to communities and individuals impacted by the War on Drugs. We must do better.” Komp pointed to bringing more cities and counties onboard with the licensing of cannabis businesses, including consumption lounges and cafes, and strengthening cannabis equity programs, as things that could be improved.