“This report is critical to New Jersey setting a model similar to other states in recognizing that all people in the state are not the same, and by legalizing cannabis, its impact on different communities is going to vary,” said Charles Menifield, dean of Rutgers University-Newark School of Public Affairs and Administration and the study’s principal investigator.
The goal is to use the data for comparative analysis over time to help shape state policy. "This is literally a baseline report of what we should be looking at and where we are now,’” said Menifield.
The study uses a wealth of secondary data to provide a snapshot of present-day usage and law-enforcement measures across age, racial, and gender lines. It also gauges youth attitudes toward marijuana, as well as medical and behavioral health factors that could be affected by legalization, such as suicide rates and the number of people entering treatment facilities for marijuana addiction.
Some of the most glaring racial disparities occurred within the legal system. The number of Black residents arrested for selling marijuana was more than five times higher than white residents. Black residents were four times as likely to be arrested for possession.
According to Menifield, there’s a need for more detailed reporting regarding social justice — especially among law enforcement metrics. Data should track people through different stages of the criminal justice process and allow disaggregation by county, race, gender, and age, he said.
Data also indicated that racial disparities in school discipline could be linked to marijuana usage and the study recommends schools provide more detailed information in the future, said Menifield.
From 2016 to 2018, Black students were suspended at a rate more than two times higher than other groups and compared to white students, they missed more than twice as many school days due to suspension.