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Marijuana Law Enforcement Cost States An Estimated $3.6 Billion In 2010: ACLU

The Startling Cost Of Enforcing Marijuana Laws
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By 

Former Associate Business Editor, The Huffington Post

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States together spent somewhere around $3.6 billion enforcing marijuana possession laws in 2010, according to a new study by the American Civil Liberties Union, entitled “The War On Marijuana In Black and White.” That's the authors' "best estimate," though approximations using different methodologies put the cost as high as $6 billion and as low as $1.2 billion.

The paper grabbed headlines Tuesday with its finding that blacks are nearly four times as likely as whites to be arrested for possessing marijuana, despite both races using the drug at about the same rate.

Here are some most startling numbers from the ACLU’s report with regards to the cost of enforcing marijuana laws:

$20 billion: The amount states will spend enforcing marijuana laws over the next six years.

$900: The minimum per-capita cost spent by California, Nevada and Washington on criminal justice for marijuana offenders.

$750: The low-level estimate that states pay for each marijuana arrest.

$95: The national average per-diem cost of housing an inmate arrested due to a marijuana-related offense.

$2: The average amount communities spend each day on marijuana supervision.

Previous attempts have been made to assess how much energy law enforcement expels enforcing marijuana possession laws. One such report from earlier this year found that the New York Police Department spent 1 million hours enforcing low-level marijuana offenses between 2002 and 2012. Another study from 2012 found
that a marijuana-related arrest is made every 42 seconds in the U.S.

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Before You Go

14 Reasons Why Marijuana Is Good For The Economy
$13.7 Billion Saved On Prohibition Enforcement Costs(01 of14)
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The government would save an estimated $13.7 billion on prohibition enforcement costs and tax revenue by legalizing marijuana, according to a paper endorsed by 300 economists. (credit:AP)
$500 Million In Tax Revenue For Washington State(02 of14)
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It's estimated that Washington's legalization of marijuana could bring the state an additional $500 million in tax revenue, WPTV reports. (credit:AP)
$60 Million Saved By Colorado Legalization(03 of14)
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Colorado's pot legalization legislation, Amendment 64, is estimated to create $60 million for the state in combined savings and additional tax revenue, Colorado Springs Business Journal reports. (credit:AP)
Legalization Could Reduce Marijuana Prices(04 of14)
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Marijuana users could see substantial savings due to marijuana legalization, as prices could fall by up to 100 times, perhaps freeing up some cash to spend on other things. (credit:AP)
Huge Prison Cost Savings(05 of14)
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Inmates incarcerated on marijuana-related charges cost U.S. prisons $1 billion annually, according to a 2007 study, AlterNet reports. (credit:AP)
Marijuana Prohibition Costs Taxpayers $41.8 Billion A Year(06 of14)
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Including lost tax revenues, a 2007 study found that enforcing the marijuana prohibition costs tax payers $41.8 billion annually, Forbes reports. (credit:AP)
California Marijuana Crop Worth $14 Billion A Year(07 of14)
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Marijuana growers account for $14 billion a year in sales in California, making it the state's most valuable cash crop, TIME reports. (credit:AP)
Illegal Marijuana A $36 Billion A Year Industry(08 of14)
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It's estimated that illegal marijuana is a $36 billion industry in the U.S., MadameNoire reports. (credit:AP)
Dispensary Ads Boost Newspapers' Revenue(09 of14)
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The Sacramento News and Review saw a big boost in ad revenue when it offered advertising space for more than 60 medical marijuana dispensaries, enabling the publication to hire three additional employees, according to News 10. (credit:AP)
Mendocino Zip Tie Program Raised $600,000(10 of14)
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Mendocino County, California's zip tie program aimed at regulating medical marijuana growing by charging permits for each plant raised $600,000 in revenue in for the Sheriff's department in 2011. (credit:AP)
Oakland Raised More Than $1 Million In Marijuana Tax Revenue(11 of14)
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The city of Oakland, California raised $1.3 million in tax revenue from medical marijuana dispensaries in 2011, 3 percent of the city's total business tax revenue, according to The New York Times. (credit:AP)
Colorado Pulls In $5 Million From Pot Sales Tax(12 of14)
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In 2011, Colorado pulled in $5 milllion in sales taxes from medical marijuana businesses, The New York Times reports. (credit:AP)
Legal Marijuana Could Be $100 Billion Industry(13 of14)
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Economist Stephen Easton estimated in 2010 that legal marijuana could be a $45 to $100 billion industry, Bloomberg Businessweek reports. (credit:AP)
Each weGrow Center Creates 75 Jobs(14 of14)
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When hydroponic marijuana growing supply chain weGrow opens a new store it creates an estimated 75 jobs indirectly, according to AZBusiness Magazine. (credit:AP)
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