Philosophy/logic

One important factor in favor of the legalization of weed is that it will likely help reduce

racial bias in law enforcement, based on the following inductive argument:

P1. Black and White Americans use marijuana at approximately the same rates.

P2. Black Americans are 3.73 times more likely than White Americans to be

arrested for marijuana possession.

P3. In some states like Iowa, Minnesota, and Illinois, Black Americans are 7.5 to 8.5

times more likely than White Americans to be arrested for marijuana

possession.

P4. Simple possession accounted for 88% of all 8.2 million arrests for marijuana

between 2001 and 2010.

C. By doing away with at least approximately 7.25 million arrests per decade,

legalizing marijuana will probably help reduce racial bias in law

enforcement by reducing arrest rate discrepancies between Black and White

Americans.

Argument adapted from:

ACLU. (2020). A Tale of Two Countries: Racially Targeted Arrests in the Era of Marijuana

Reform. American Civil Liberties Union. https://www.aclu.org/report/report-war-

marijuana-black-and-white

ACLU. (2020). Marijuana Arrests by The Numbers. American Civil Liberties Union.

https://www.aclu.org/gallery/marijuana-arrests-numbers