After Rising Dramatically, Marijuana Arrests Are Falling in New York City and Across the Country
A policy that took effect in New York City this week is expected to accelerate a downward trend in marijuana arrests, which are also falling nationwide after rising dramatically during the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. In my latest Forbes column, I consider the causes and consequences of this cannabis crackdown. Here is how the piece begins:
In 1992, when Americans elected a president who said he had smoked pot without inhaling, the number of marijuana arrests in the United States began a steep climb. It peaked in 2007, during the administration of a president who refused to say whether he had smoked pot because he worried about setting a bad example for the youth of America. Since 2009, when a president who "inhaled frequently" because "that was the point" took office, the number of marijuana arrests has fallen steadily—a trend that continued last year, according to FBI numbers released last week.
