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More Than 200,000 People Were Arrested For Marijuana In The U.S. Last Year, FBI Data Shows

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4 months ago

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Nearly 188,000 people were arrested in the US last year for possession of marijuana, according to the FBI’s latest annual crime report, and another 16,000 for selling or growing cannabis. However, these figures are underestimated given the inconsistencies in federal data and questions about the agency’s methodology.

The entire 2024 data set is based on more than 14 million crimes reported to the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, which is used to document and analyze national crime trends. The report covers 95.6 percent of the U.S. population, the FBI said.

This latest data shows that cannabis-related crimes decreased slightly compared to 2023, from 200,306 possession arrests to 187,792 in 2024 and from 16,844 sales or manufacturing arrests to 16,244.

Advocates see the reduction as a reflection of the success of the legalization movement spreading at the state level, but also point out that marijuana is still the most commonly arrested illegal substance in Americans’ “war on drugs.”

“While the total number of marijuana-related arrests has dropped nationwide in recent years, it’s clear that marijuana-related charges are still a major driver of drug war enforcement in the United States,” NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano told Marijuana Moment.

In the new report, 27 percent of all drug possession arrests were for marijuana, more than for any other substance specifically listed.

Because not all agencies provide complete data for reporting periods, the FBI explained that the bureau calculates estimated crime numbers by essentially extrapolating “using the data provided following a standard estimation procedure.” In terms of total arrests reported for the category called “drug/narcotics,” for example, the FBI said there were 831,446 arrests.

At the same time, frustrations over the inconsistency of the FBI the data Reports of cannabis and other drug arrest trends have been maintained. Different sections of the report report different numbers for seemingly similar categories of crime.

An FBI chart says there were 1,413,223 “drug/narcotics crimes” in 2024. Another uses the figure of 1,577,175 in the same heading. A third total is 1,870,804.

Another section says there were 822,488 arrests for drug abuse violations in 2024, about 12 percent of the estimated 7.5 million arrests nationwide.

The FBI data also shows trends over time, indicating that 1,055,013 drug-related charges were filed in 2015 and 600,400 drug-related charges were filed in 2024, a decrease of about 43 percent, although it is unclear how much of the change is due to changes in the agency’s arrest practices and methods. State drug laws over the past decade.

In terms of controlled substance seizures in 2024, the agency said 386,540 cases of marijuana were seized out of a total of 1,072,704 drug seizures, about 36 percent of enforcement actions.

Lawmakers, researchers, and the media rely on FBI arrest data to understand and contextualize law enforcement trends. Not only do inconsistencies affect the public’s understanding of crime and law enforcement, but also how policies are developed and implemented.

The bureau was tipped off to the FBI’s alleged marijuana bug in May 2022, when Eric Sterling, a longtime drug reformer and former congressional staffer, said he discovered the presence of a Maryland police department. reporting cannabis possession citations issued under the state’s decriminalization law at the time as arrests As part of a data sharing partnership with the FBI.

Because other state and local law enforcement agencies don’t seem to report cannabis citations as arrests, Sterling reasoned, the inconsistent practice can significantly skew the FBI’s annual reports, making it harder to draw reasonable policy conclusions from the data.

In 2023—14 months after Sterling sent the query—the office finally responded. However, instead of addressing the apparent issue, the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General’s Investigations Division said it had determined that “the issues you raised are more appropriate for consideration by another DOJ office.” He referred the inquiry to the FBI’s investigative division.

The FBI’s report on cannabis enforcement is also at risk because local and state police are not required to share data to inform the agency’s annual report, which is It provides a comprehensive view of law enforcement activities. The agency itself says that some data may not be comparable to previous years, due to varying levels of participation over time.

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Meanwhile, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said in a recent filing The process of reorganizing marijuana is at a standstill in the phase it has been in for monthsdespite the agency head’s prior commitment to senators that he would prioritize the issue if confirmed for the role.

President Donald Trump said in August that he planned to make a decision on his proposal to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) within weeks.

The overhaul would not legalize marijuana, however, so it remains to be seen how the reform might affect arrest rates reported in future FBI annual reports.

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Greenhouses and more at Fruit Logistica Berlin

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22 hours ago

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February 9, 2026

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New varieties, new concepts, new packaging, new products, new faces – there was a lot to do in Berlin last week. And, new travel schedules too: due to the black ice, many visitors traveling by plane had to extend their stay or find an alternative mode of transport – or both.

Click here for the photo report.

© Arlette Sijmonsma | MMJDaily.com

Fortunately, our bus drivers got us home safely to the Netherlands, and we were able to take all the photos of the greenhouse suppliers, growers and other related parties, so take a seat and enjoy our Fruit Logistica photo report!

There will be more updates this week, as well as extensive reports from our international Freshplaza colleagues, focused on the fresh produce industry.

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Alaska Government Task Force Recommends Legalizing Psychedelic Therapy Upon FDA Approval

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22 hours ago

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February 9, 2026

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An Alaska psychedelic task force is recommending that the state move forward with plans to provide regulated access to psychedelics if the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows medical use of substances such as psilocybin and MDMA.

According to a law approved in 2024, after working for about a year studying the issue, Alaska Legislative Task Force on Psychedelic Drug Regulation released its findings and recommendations on Thursday.

“Alaska has one of the nation’s highest rates of domestic violence survivors and combat veterans suffering from PTSD, and many Alaskans continue to struggle with traditional treatments,” Sen. Forrest Dunbar (D), the task force’s leader, said in a press release.

“Our approach to these new medical therapies must be properly and independently evaluated so that if the legislature were to make policy changes, we will do so with empirical data in a properly controlled environment,” the senator said.

The panel’s report lists a number of findings based on a review of the scientific literature and expert testimony. This includes findings that some psychedelics do indeed have “potential therapeutic uses” and that “there is a particular focus on the use of these therapies for veterans, survivors of assault and interpersonal violence, and others with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Members emphasized the importance of delivering psychedelic therapies in partnership with “multiple types of providers” to provide comprehensive treatment, rather than leaving it up to the patient.

Among its recommendations, the task force said, “If psychedelic medical therapies are approved by the FDA, the state should take steps to allow them to be used in Alaska, rather than ban their use.”

Alaska regulators should also identify clinical task forces, “whose role is to regularly review up-to-date studies and the evidence base to make recommendations, and rely on those entities to provide ongoing guidance on the use of these therapies,” he said.

“As much as possible, reserve the use of state statute for broad enabling language and essential components of a regulatory structure, and leave most regulatory decisions to the appropriate boards and agencies,” another recommendation reads. “Regulations still require a robust public process to be approved, but they are more predictable and can be updated or changed more easily than statutory amendments that require legislative action.”

“The appropriate parameters for the use of these therapies are likely to change over time as the evidence base matures and FDA approval may be granted for multiple therapies,” he said.

If the FDA continues to approve any psychedelics for medical use, the panel said the Alaska State Board of Medicine should update its guidelines for prescribing controlled substances to include new therapies.

Additionally, if the FDA approves psychedelic drugs and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) federally reschedules substances such as psilocybin, Alaska “should fully reflect federal programming and Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS), without adding duplicative or conflicting state regulations, and follow the rules for determining whether a DEA license is required.” the report he says

“This approach respects federal science and facilitates access for patients and providers,” he continues.

Additionally, as lawmakers and regulators await a federal decision to advance psychedelic therapies, states should consider legislation to “incorporate the recommendations made in this report to encourage statewide implementation action.”

“Legislation on triggers would require addressing various process and regulatory issues, such as the role and involvement of professional licensing boards, state agencies, and the Controlled Substances Advisory Committee,” the task force said.

The report also says that psychedelic reform should include military veterans’ access to FDA-approved therapies, which could involve working with the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to identify opportunities to participate in clinical trials and pilot programs using new drugs.

“The grant should be considered to ensure active efforts by the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to develop billing codes that will promote sufficient reimbursement for the provision of psychedelic therapy, which are essential to ensure patient access post-FDA approval,” the panel said.

Rep. Justin Ruffridge (R), who also serves as co-chair of the psychedelic panel, said the task force “focused on preparing Alaska for potential federal approval of psychedelic therapies.”

“These recommendations came from months of collaboration and work by medical professionals, advocates and legislators who focused on patient safety, evidence-based care and access, especially for those who have not seen progress through traditional treatments,” he said.

So far two other states have facilitated fully functioning psychedelic programs. Oregon voters legalized the therapeutic psilocybin in 2020and Colorado’s program was approved at the ballot box in 2022, with the state’s governor signing the legislation a year later to create the regulatory framework for the program

Meanwhile, a campaign in Alaska announced in December that it did not get enough signaturesAn initiative to legalize some psychedelics like psilocybin and DMT on the 2026 state ballot.– but the activists have emphasized that “the work is far from over” as they focus on putting the reform measure before the voters in 2028.

“While we won’t be on the ballot in 2026, we’re still on track for 2028, and with the determination, focus and support of our community, we’ll continue to move forward,” Natural Medicine Alaska said in December. “This movement is gaining momentum every day. In fact, 65 percent of Alaskans support this initiative, and that number continues to grow.”

A pre-campaign policy outline explained that the proposal is “under construction”. The Natural Medicine Health Act of 2022 passed by Colorado votersunder last year facilitators administered the state’s first legal dose of psilocybin.

A 2024 poll found that nearly half (49.4 percent) of Alaskan adults would support a ballot measure more broadly. remove criminal penalties for the use of substances such as psilocybin mushrooms.

That support rose significantly—to nearly two-thirds (65 percent)—when participants were told that Alaska has high rates of mental illness that could be treated with psychedelics.

Photo elements courtesy of the user carlosemmaskype and Apollo.

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Anti legalization group fails to collect signatures to roll back laws

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2 days ago

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February 8, 2026

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A Maine campaign seeking to significantly roll back the state’s marijuana law failed to submit signatures this week for the November 2026 ballot, meaning anti-cannabis activists will have to move to 2027 if they hope to get the issue before voters.

Amid criticism from reform advocates, industry players and some lawmakers for allegedly deceptive signature-gathering tactics, Mainers for a Safe and Healthy Future apparently couldn’t make the cut by the Feb. 2 deadline.

“Cannabis orders were not returned yesterday,” Assistant Secretary of State for Communications Jana Spaulding told Cannabis Business Times on Tuesday. In Maine, that doesn’t mean the campaign has to start from scratch, though, because they can still put the proposition on next year’s ballot. A Republican Maine lawmaker and marijuana industry advocates raised the alarm last month that prohibitionist campaigners were using deceptive petitions to get voters to sign the petition.

A video shared by Rep. David Boyer (R) appeared to feature an image and audio recording of a person gathering signatures for the ballot measure, in which he grossly misrepresented what the cannabis proposal would accomplish, saying its main goal was to ensure the product’s safety through improved testing.

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