Blacks More Likely to Be Charged for Pot in Evanston

EVANSTON, IL - Marijuana related violations over the last three months indicate a large discrepancy among black and white suspects.

Evanston Now published the numbers this week from Evanston Police Department data totaling 77 arrests and tickets handed out for possession of the drug that’s just been decriminalized in the state.

Sixty one percent of those arrested or ticketed were black, while 25 percent were white and 18 percent Hispanic.

Data was not included on any arrests of people with Asian and Native American backgrounds.

The Evanston Now article pointed out that given the population numbers for each race based on the most recent U.S. Census that blacks are about three times more likely to be involved in a marijuana offense, whites nearly three times less likely to be involved and Hispanics about twice as likely to be arrested.

A vast majority (83 percent) of those involved with marijuana crimes were men.

More via Evanston Now