WBEZ ran a piece on the report released by the ACLU about racial disparities in nationwide arrests for marijuana possession. The report also broke down the numbers for Illinois, and found that black people are 8 times more likely than white people to be arrested for pot. WBEZ spoke with Communications and Public Policy Director Ed Yohnka about the implications of the report's findings.
Yohnka says that disparity “results in really tragic outcomes in … people’s lives,” because of court costs and the stigma of a criminal record. It cost the state about $221 million to enforce marijuana laws in 2010, according to the report.
“This war on marijuana … is an abject failure,” Yohnka said.
