Report: African-Americans disproportionately targeted for pot

Source: Sacramento Bee

An analysis of arrest data in major California counties shows that African-Americans are far more likely to be booked for marijuuana possession - even though pot use is lower among blacks than whites.

Those are the results of a study by the Drug Policy Alliance, an advocacy group seeking alternatives to the drug war.

...

In Sacramento and San Francisco Counties, black residents were arrested for marijuana possession four times as often as white residents. In Los Angeles County, the disparity was more than three to one, according to the analysis of California arrest data from 2004 through 2008.

"These racially-biased (arrests for) marijuana offenses are a statewide phenomenon...in nearly every county and every police department in this state," said Stephen Gutwillig, California director for the Drug Policy Alliance.


Read more: http://blogs.sacbee.com/weed-wars/2010/06/report-african-americans-disproportionately-targeted-for-pot.html

The war on drugs, especially for cannabis, is and always has been nothing more than an excuse to beat down on young people and minorities.

EDIT: This cartoon pretty much sums it up:

b/c it removes one more way that the systemic racism in America can be enforced.