VIRGINIA, USA — Nearly one year after Virginia decriminalized cannabis, marijuana-related arrests have dropped by around 50%, according to the commonwealth's 2020 crime report.
The data indicates that there were a total of 13,674 cannabis-related arrests in 2020 compared to 26,470 in 2019. Similarly, the proportion of marijuana-related arrests compared to overall drug arrests decreased from 57% in 2019 to just 46% in 2020.
The drop is in stark contrast to the nearly 29,000 marijuana arrests made in 2018, which was the state's highest figure in two decades and subsequently sparked calls to reform Virginia's cannabis laws.
Total marijuana seizure incidents also dropped by about 32%, with the report directly crediting decriminalization as the primary reason for this decrease.
Among all cannabis-related arrests, 44% of detainees were between the ages of 18 and 24, the highest among the report's designated age groups.
Virginia's marijuana laws have changed significantly within the last two years.
In April 2020, Gov. Ralph Northam signed House Bill 972 that decriminalized simple cannabis possession and mandated a $25 maximum penalty.
Northam signed a new law that will legalize recreational cannabis use that goes go into effect on July 1, 2021, which will also make Virginia the first state in the South to have a lawful recreational marijuana industry.
A 2020 investigation conducted by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) concluded that legalizing recreational cannabis would help close the racial discrepancies surrounding the policing of the substance.
The report found that Black Virginians were around four times more likely to be arrested and convicted for marijuana use and procession compared to White people.
This most recent crime summary did not provide racial demographics for cannabis-related arrests after decriminalization.
Sign up for the Get Up DC newsletter: Your forecast. Your commute. Your news.
Sign up for the Capitol Breach email newsletter, delivering the latest breaking news and a roundup of the investigation into the Capitol Riots on January 6, 2021.