Six hundred people are still arrested every day in America for marijuana.
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Every day in America, 600 people are still arrested for marijuana-related offenses. For NORML (the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), this is a powerful reminder of why the fight to reform cannabis laws continues—and how much more needs to be done.
Despite the fact that nearly half of U.S. states have moved to legalize and regulate cannabis in the past decade, many areas of the country still criminalize marijuana use. In Alabama, for instance, almost half of all drug arrests are for marijuana. In Georgia, 40% of drug-related arrests involve marijuana. In Texas, about a third of all drug arrests are for minor marijuana violations, and in Pennsylvania, one in five drug arrests are marijuana-related.
According to the FBI’s latest "Crime in the United States" report, over 220,000 marijuana-related arrests were made in 2023, with most involving simple possession. NORML argues that these arrests represent a massive misuse of police resources—and each arrest has real human consequences.
Behind every marijuana arrest is a person: someone with a family, a story, and a life that can be deeply impacted by the justice system. NORML works to keep these individuals in mind, advocating for the responsible use of cannabis without the fear of criminal punishment. To the organization, even a single marijuana arrest is one too many.
Thanks to public support and continued efforts, progress is being made. Marijuana arrests have decreased by nearly 75% nationwide since their peak in 2007. Today, both major U.S. presidential candidates have acknowledged that it’s time to stop arresting Americans for possessing and using cannabis—a substance that is safer than tobacco or alcohol.
NORML has been working toward changing America’s marijuana laws for over five decades, and the organization believes that full legalization is within reach. But the work isn’t finished, and continued support is essential to ending the arrest, imprisonment, and discrimination against responsible cannabis users.
NORML calls on supporters to contribute to the cause, helping to push forward the fight for legalization and to stop criminalizing people for cannabis use. Together, the goal of legalizing marijuana across the U.S. can be achieved.
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