Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
In 2015, Michigan arrests for marijuana were more common than arrests for shoplifting.
Police made 23,893 arrests involving marijuana in 2015, about 9% of all arrests, according to Michigan State Police data.
Marijuana is the No. 1 illicit drug of choice in Michigan, experts say. An estimated 10% of Michigan residents use the drug at least once a month.
Michigan voters approved use of medical marijuana in 2008. There currently is a petition drive under way to put a proposal on the November 2018 ballot to legalize use of recreational marijuana in Michigan.
Michigan could keep enough marijuana for 880 joints under proposal
Below is a look at the most recent data on marijuana arrests and use.
1. Crawford County, home to Grayling, has the highest arrest rate in the state
This interactive map shows the rate of 2015 marijuana arrests per 1,000 county residents. Statewide, there were about 2.4 arrests per 1,000 residents. You can click on any county to see the underlying data.
The county with the highest rate was Crawford County, which includes Grayling. The countywide rate was 18.1 per thousand, more than seven times the state average.
The county with the lowest arrest rate was Cass County in southwest Michigan along the Indiana border. Their countywide rate was .77 per thousand, about a third of the state average.
(Cass numbers did not include arrests by the Dowagiac Police Department, one of 35 agencies not to report their 2015 arrest data to the Michigan State Police. The other 34 were the police departments for Au Gres, Baraga, Bellevue, Benton Township, Byron, Centreville, Concord Township, Dickinson County sheriff's office, Dundee, Ecorse, Fair Haven Township, Freeport, Galien, Hesperia, Home Township, Iron Mountain, Kellogg Community College, Lakeview, L'anse, Lexington, Manton, Memphis, Mendon, Millington, Norway, Peck, Pigeon, Port Sanilac, Portland, Shelby, Springport Township, Unionville, Wayne County Community College and Woodland Township.)
2. Crawford also was No. 1 in percentage of all arrests that involved marijuana
This interactive map shows the percentage of all 2015 arrests in the county that involved marijuana. The state average was 9%. You can click on any county to see the underlying data.
Crawford County ranked No. 1: A third of all arrests in Crawford involved marijuana. Rounding out the top five were four other rural counties: Sanilac in the Thumb region; Otsego and Roscommon, which border Crawford in the northern Lower Peninsula, and Baraga and Ontonagon in the Upper Peninsula.
The lowest-ranked county on this indicator was Ingham, home to Lansing and Michigan State University. About 4% of their arrests were for marijuana. Also in the bottom five: Bay County, home to Bay City; Grand Traverse County, home to Traverse City; Muskegon County, and Missauwakee County, which is between Grand Traverse and Roscommon.
3. Comparing marijuana usage rates to arrest rates
There is no county-level data on estimated marijuana use, but the state does have estimates based on health surveys for 10 geographic regions in the state. You can click on any region in this map to see the percentage of residents age 12 and older who used marijuana at least once in the previous month before they were surveyed.
Below are the 10 regions ranked by percentage who used marijuana in the past month.
1.Flint and Port Huron areas (Region 10): 11.2%;
2.Wayne County (Region 7): 11.1%;
3.Southwest Michigan, including Kalamazoo, Battle Creek and Benton Harbor/St. Joseph (Region 4): 10.2%;
4.Mid-Michigan, including Lansing, Jackson, Saginaw, Bay City and Mount Pleasant (Region 5): 10.1%;
5.Macomb County (Region 9): 9.9%;
6.Upper Peninsula (Region 1): 9.6%;
7.Grand Rapids/Muskegon area (Region 3): 9.2%;
8.Lower Peninsula north of Clare (Region 2): 8.4%;
9.Ann Arbor, Monroe and Brighton areas (Region 6): 8.4%;
10.Oakland County (Region 8): 8.2%.
And now here's a ranking of those regions by marijuana arrest rates per 1,000 residents.
1.Lower Peninsula north of Clare (Region 2): 3.34;
2.Southwest Michigan, including Kalamazoo, Battle Creek and Benton Harbor/St. Joseph(Region 4): 3.22;
3.Wayne County (Region 7): 2.74:
4.Grand Rapids/Muskegon area (Region 3): 2.59;
5.Flint and Port Huron areas (Region 10): 2.55;
6.Mid-Michigan, including Lansing, Jackson, Saginaw, Bay City and Isabella (Region 5): 2.38;
7.Upper Peninsula (Region 1): 2.3;
8.Macomb County (Region 9): 1.75;
9.Ann Arbor, Monroe and Brighton areas (Region 6): 1.65;
10. Oakland County (Region 8): 1.65.
4. Marijuana arrests stable for past three years
Statewide, marijuana arrests are up 12% since 2008, but down slightly from 2013 and 2014. About 64% of the marijuana arrests were for possession or use.
5. As other arrests go down, marijuana is a bigger proportion
Between 2008 and 2015, total arrests in Michigan dropped 17% from 307,818 to 256,305, even as the number of marijuana arrests went up. The result: Arrests are now a bigger percentage of all arrests.
6. Drugs are second-largest arrest category in Michigan
After obstruction of justice, violation of a controlled substance was the second-most common arrest charge in Michigan in 2015, state police data shows. The 23,893 marijuana arrests comprised about two-thirds of all violations of a controlled substance. (That category does not include the 4,671 arrests for narcotic equipment violation, such as equipment for a meth lab.)
Note: In arrests where an individual is charged with multiple offenses, the most serious offense was reported to the state police for the annual crime report.
7. 81% of those arrested for marijuana are men
About 81% of those arrested for marijuana in 2015 were men. To provide some perspective, 39% of Michigan residents are white males and 6.7% are black men.
Bottom line: Black men are three times more likely to be arrested for marijuana compared to white men, and four times more likely than other Michigan resident.
It's true that men are more likely to use marijuana than women, and blacks use the drug more frequently than whites, according to health surveys. But those differences don't support the disparity in arrests.
8. Blacks about a third more likely to have used marijuana in past month
Among Michiganders age 12 and older, about 10% use marijuana at least once a month and 15% in the past year, according to estimates based on health surveys.
This chart shows marijuana use by race among Americans age 12 and older, based surveys of more than 265,000 Americans in 2015.
It shows whites are more likely to have tried marijuana than blacks, Hispanics or Asians, but blacks and people of mixed race are more likely to have used pot at least once in the past year or past month before they were surveyed.
Specifically, this data suggests that, compared to white, black are about a third more likely to have used marijuana in the past month and 18% more likely to have used marijuana in the past year.
9. Men almost twice as likely to have used marijuana in past month
American men are more likely to have tried marijuana at least once, and are more frequent users than women, based on surveys of more than 265,000 Americans age 12 and older in 2015.
Based on this data, men are almost twice as likely to have used marijuana in the past month, compared to women, and a third more likely to have used the drug in the past year.
10. 18 to 25 age group is biggest user of marijuana
Young adults are, by far, the biggest users of marijuana. But it also shows the increase in marijuana use is being drive by Michigan adults age 26 and older, according to health surveys.
11. Adults with some college, but not a bachelor's, most likely to use marijuana
The least and most educated Americans are less likely to use marijuana than those with some college, based on surveys of Americans age 26 and older in 2015.
The "Other" category includes students, persons keeping house or caring for children full time, retired or disabled persons, or other persons not in the labor force.
12. Unemployed most likely to use marijuana
Americans with a full-time job are more likely to have tried marijuana, based on surveys of Americans age 26 and older in 2015. But those who are unemployed are most likely to have used marijuana in the past month.
13. Michigan ranks 13th in U.S. for marijuana use
Michigan ranks 14th in percentage of residents age 12 and older who used marijuana in the past month, based on 2014-15 health surveys. Michigan had a prevalence rate of 10.1% compared to a national average of 8.3%.
In that ranking, Colorado had the highest percentage, 16.6%, followed by Vermont, Alaska, Maine and Rhode Island.
The lowest rate was in Iowa, at 4.8%, followed by Utah, Alabama, Mississippi and North Dakota.
14. Ottawa County has the lowest rate of medical marijuana cards
Montmorency County in the northeast Lower Peninsula has the highest rate of residents with a medical marijuana card and Ottawa County has the lowest. You can click on a county in this interactive map to see the underlying data.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Marijuana is 9% of all Michigan arrests, and other facts on marijuana arrests | MLive.com
Author: JULIE MACK
Contact: MLive contacts, services and support | MLive Contacts - MLive.com
Photo Credit: AP
Website: Michigan Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - MLive.com
Police made 23,893 arrests involving marijuana in 2015, about 9% of all arrests, according to Michigan State Police data.
Marijuana is the No. 1 illicit drug of choice in Michigan, experts say. An estimated 10% of Michigan residents use the drug at least once a month.
Michigan voters approved use of medical marijuana in 2008. There currently is a petition drive under way to put a proposal on the November 2018 ballot to legalize use of recreational marijuana in Michigan.
Michigan could keep enough marijuana for 880 joints under proposal
Below is a look at the most recent data on marijuana arrests and use.
1. Crawford County, home to Grayling, has the highest arrest rate in the state
This interactive map shows the rate of 2015 marijuana arrests per 1,000 county residents. Statewide, there were about 2.4 arrests per 1,000 residents. You can click on any county to see the underlying data.
The county with the highest rate was Crawford County, which includes Grayling. The countywide rate was 18.1 per thousand, more than seven times the state average.
The county with the lowest arrest rate was Cass County in southwest Michigan along the Indiana border. Their countywide rate was .77 per thousand, about a third of the state average.
(Cass numbers did not include arrests by the Dowagiac Police Department, one of 35 agencies not to report their 2015 arrest data to the Michigan State Police. The other 34 were the police departments for Au Gres, Baraga, Bellevue, Benton Township, Byron, Centreville, Concord Township, Dickinson County sheriff's office, Dundee, Ecorse, Fair Haven Township, Freeport, Galien, Hesperia, Home Township, Iron Mountain, Kellogg Community College, Lakeview, L'anse, Lexington, Manton, Memphis, Mendon, Millington, Norway, Peck, Pigeon, Port Sanilac, Portland, Shelby, Springport Township, Unionville, Wayne County Community College and Woodland Township.)
2. Crawford also was No. 1 in percentage of all arrests that involved marijuana
This interactive map shows the percentage of all 2015 arrests in the county that involved marijuana. The state average was 9%. You can click on any county to see the underlying data.
Crawford County ranked No. 1: A third of all arrests in Crawford involved marijuana. Rounding out the top five were four other rural counties: Sanilac in the Thumb region; Otsego and Roscommon, which border Crawford in the northern Lower Peninsula, and Baraga and Ontonagon in the Upper Peninsula.
The lowest-ranked county on this indicator was Ingham, home to Lansing and Michigan State University. About 4% of their arrests were for marijuana. Also in the bottom five: Bay County, home to Bay City; Grand Traverse County, home to Traverse City; Muskegon County, and Missauwakee County, which is between Grand Traverse and Roscommon.
3. Comparing marijuana usage rates to arrest rates
There is no county-level data on estimated marijuana use, but the state does have estimates based on health surveys for 10 geographic regions in the state. You can click on any region in this map to see the percentage of residents age 12 and older who used marijuana at least once in the previous month before they were surveyed.
Below are the 10 regions ranked by percentage who used marijuana in the past month.
1.Flint and Port Huron areas (Region 10): 11.2%;
2.Wayne County (Region 7): 11.1%;
3.Southwest Michigan, including Kalamazoo, Battle Creek and Benton Harbor/St. Joseph (Region 4): 10.2%;
4.Mid-Michigan, including Lansing, Jackson, Saginaw, Bay City and Mount Pleasant (Region 5): 10.1%;
5.Macomb County (Region 9): 9.9%;
6.Upper Peninsula (Region 1): 9.6%;
7.Grand Rapids/Muskegon area (Region 3): 9.2%;
8.Lower Peninsula north of Clare (Region 2): 8.4%;
9.Ann Arbor, Monroe and Brighton areas (Region 6): 8.4%;
10.Oakland County (Region 8): 8.2%.
And now here's a ranking of those regions by marijuana arrest rates per 1,000 residents.
1.Lower Peninsula north of Clare (Region 2): 3.34;
2.Southwest Michigan, including Kalamazoo, Battle Creek and Benton Harbor/St. Joseph(Region 4): 3.22;
3.Wayne County (Region 7): 2.74:
4.Grand Rapids/Muskegon area (Region 3): 2.59;
5.Flint and Port Huron areas (Region 10): 2.55;
6.Mid-Michigan, including Lansing, Jackson, Saginaw, Bay City and Isabella (Region 5): 2.38;
7.Upper Peninsula (Region 1): 2.3;
8.Macomb County (Region 9): 1.75;
9.Ann Arbor, Monroe and Brighton areas (Region 6): 1.65;
10. Oakland County (Region 8): 1.65.
4. Marijuana arrests stable for past three years
Statewide, marijuana arrests are up 12% since 2008, but down slightly from 2013 and 2014. About 64% of the marijuana arrests were for possession or use.
5. As other arrests go down, marijuana is a bigger proportion
Between 2008 and 2015, total arrests in Michigan dropped 17% from 307,818 to 256,305, even as the number of marijuana arrests went up. The result: Arrests are now a bigger percentage of all arrests.
6. Drugs are second-largest arrest category in Michigan
After obstruction of justice, violation of a controlled substance was the second-most common arrest charge in Michigan in 2015, state police data shows. The 23,893 marijuana arrests comprised about two-thirds of all violations of a controlled substance. (That category does not include the 4,671 arrests for narcotic equipment violation, such as equipment for a meth lab.)
Note: In arrests where an individual is charged with multiple offenses, the most serious offense was reported to the state police for the annual crime report.
7. 81% of those arrested for marijuana are men
About 81% of those arrested for marijuana in 2015 were men. To provide some perspective, 39% of Michigan residents are white males and 6.7% are black men.
Bottom line: Black men are three times more likely to be arrested for marijuana compared to white men, and four times more likely than other Michigan resident.
It's true that men are more likely to use marijuana than women, and blacks use the drug more frequently than whites, according to health surveys. But those differences don't support the disparity in arrests.
8. Blacks about a third more likely to have used marijuana in past month
Among Michiganders age 12 and older, about 10% use marijuana at least once a month and 15% in the past year, according to estimates based on health surveys.
This chart shows marijuana use by race among Americans age 12 and older, based surveys of more than 265,000 Americans in 2015.
It shows whites are more likely to have tried marijuana than blacks, Hispanics or Asians, but blacks and people of mixed race are more likely to have used pot at least once in the past year or past month before they were surveyed.
Specifically, this data suggests that, compared to white, black are about a third more likely to have used marijuana in the past month and 18% more likely to have used marijuana in the past year.
9. Men almost twice as likely to have used marijuana in past month
American men are more likely to have tried marijuana at least once, and are more frequent users than women, based on surveys of more than 265,000 Americans age 12 and older in 2015.
Based on this data, men are almost twice as likely to have used marijuana in the past month, compared to women, and a third more likely to have used the drug in the past year.
10. 18 to 25 age group is biggest user of marijuana
Young adults are, by far, the biggest users of marijuana. But it also shows the increase in marijuana use is being drive by Michigan adults age 26 and older, according to health surveys.
11. Adults with some college, but not a bachelor's, most likely to use marijuana
The least and most educated Americans are less likely to use marijuana than those with some college, based on surveys of Americans age 26 and older in 2015.
The "Other" category includes students, persons keeping house or caring for children full time, retired or disabled persons, or other persons not in the labor force.
12. Unemployed most likely to use marijuana
Americans with a full-time job are more likely to have tried marijuana, based on surveys of Americans age 26 and older in 2015. But those who are unemployed are most likely to have used marijuana in the past month.
13. Michigan ranks 13th in U.S. for marijuana use
Michigan ranks 14th in percentage of residents age 12 and older who used marijuana in the past month, based on 2014-15 health surveys. Michigan had a prevalence rate of 10.1% compared to a national average of 8.3%.
In that ranking, Colorado had the highest percentage, 16.6%, followed by Vermont, Alaska, Maine and Rhode Island.
The lowest rate was in Iowa, at 4.8%, followed by Utah, Alabama, Mississippi and North Dakota.
14. Ottawa County has the lowest rate of medical marijuana cards
Montmorency County in the northeast Lower Peninsula has the highest rate of residents with a medical marijuana card and Ottawa County has the lowest. You can click on a county in this interactive map to see the underlying data.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Marijuana is 9% of all Michigan arrests, and other facts on marijuana arrests | MLive.com
Author: JULIE MACK
Contact: MLive contacts, services and support | MLive Contacts - MLive.com
Photo Credit: AP
Website: Michigan Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - MLive.com
