Legalizing recreational use of marijuana in Colorado may have helped out its melanin-free citizens, but it appears to have negatively affected the state’s minority population—at least when it comes to teens. A new report shows black and Latino youth are being arrested at greater rates, while arrests for their white peers have declined.
According to the findings from the Colorado Department of Public Safety, arrests for black adolescents between the ages of 10 and 17 have increased by 58 percent, and arrests for Latino kids of the same age range have gone up 29 percent. Meanwhile, arrests for white teens have decreased by 8 percent. Those who are caught usually don’t end up spending time in jail, but they do have to pay a fine and, in order to have said discrepancy expunged from their juvie record, fork up cash to take a drug education course.
These numbers may seem disproportionate, but Tustin Amole, director of communications at Cherry Creek Schools in Arapahoe County, insists they accurately reflect the numbers of its underage users. Arguing that each arrest in made on a case by case basis in your district, she toldBuzzFeed News, "We don’t really have zero tolerance policies, because there are so many variations and circumstances. You have to take them all into account" before adding, "All I can say is while it may seem disproportionate, those are the students we’re catching with the drugs."
Marijuana was legalized in the state in 2012, and since then, its economy has seen a boost. However, much like their juvenile counterparts, adult minorities are reportedly arrested at a disproportionate rate. Unlike those teens, arrests for individuals over the age of 18 are often accompanied by jail time.
