Black and brown New Yorkers continue to face marijuana arrests at rates nearly 10 times those of whites, despite early promises from Mayor Bill de Blasio to close the racial disparity.
While marijuana arrests have dropped significantly since the mayor took office, 86 percent of the people arrested for marijuana possession in the fifth degree during 2017 were people of color; 48 percent were black and 38 percent were Hispanic. Only 9 percent were white.