Youth and Adult Arrests for Cannabis Possession After Decriminalization and Legalization of Cannabis.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Civil liberty advocates typically support legalization of cannabis, which targets adult use, rather than decriminalization, which can affect both adults and youths. However, it is unknown how arrests of youths for cannabis possession change when adult use of cannabis is legalized.

Objective

To model changes in arrest rates of adults and youths after decriminalization and legalization of cannabis.

Design, setting, and participants

This quasi-experimental study used the publicly available Uniform Crime Reporting Program Data: Arrests by Age, Sex, and Race administrative data set to examine arrest rates in 38 states from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2016. Adult (age, ≥18 years) and youth (age, <18 years) arrests for possession of cannabis were examined. St

SUBMITTER: Plunk AD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6580444 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature