Nearly 40 years ago, juveniles accounted for about a third of all marijuana possession detentions in New Jersey. But now, those under 18 are almost an afterthought. Fewer than 9 percent of all pot busts in 2016 involved juveniles, according to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Instead, more resources are being devoted to catching their parents — and grandparents — with weed.
The drop in juvenile marijuana arrests stems from a number of factors: A decades-long cultural shift in the United States about marijuana use; a change in perspective and practices among police; young people turning away from it; and more states decriminalizing the drug for youths.
In 1980, 75 percent of all drug arrests nationwide were for marijuana. Now, pot makes up just 44 percent.