By the Numbers: Marijuana Arrests in NYC, 1997-2006

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400,000: The number of people in New York City arrested and jailed for possessing small amounts of marijuana from 1997 to 2007.

39,000: The number of people in New York City arrested for possessing small amounts of marijuana from 1987 to 1996.

39,700: The number of misdemeanor marijuana possession arrests in New York City in 2007.

220,000: The number of blacks arrested and jailed for possessing small amounts of marijuana in New York City from 1997 to 2007. This accounts for 52 percent of the arrests though blacks composed only about 26 percent of the city’s population during that time span.

112,000: The number of Latinos arrested and jailed for possessing small amounts of marijuana in New York City from 1997 to 2006. This accounts for 31 percent of the arrests though Latinos composed about 27 percent of the city’s population during that time span.

58,000: The number of whites arrested and jailed for possessing small amounts of marijuana in New York City from 1997 to 2006. This accounts for 15 percent of arrests though whites composed more than 36 percent of the city’s population during that time span.

329,000: The number of males arrested for possessing small amounts of marijuana from 1997 to 2006. About 91 percent of people arrested for marijuana possession were male.