In Philadelphia and other urban environments white women are the group least arrested for marijuana. Mainstream media has given significant attention recently to American women’s appreciation for cannabis. From Tyra Banks to The View and Marie Claire to the New York Times we can see businesswomen, celebrities and soccer moms smoking pot for medication and recreation.
But a look at the data for Philadelphia in August 2008 reveals that just 9 white women were arrested for marijuana possession of less than 30 grams. In sharp contrast, 362 black men were arrested that month alone for the very same offense.
The data comes from the Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Report and has been confirmed by Philadelphia Police representatives.
Nationally, statistics show that there is a stronger preference among men for marijuana (or at least to admit use on surveys). The same data shows that women of most ethnicities are well represented within America’s millions of marijuana consumers.
Several studies indicate that black and white women choose cannabis at near equal rates.
Still, black women were three times more likely to be arrested for pot in Philadelphia.
The city saw just 90 white women arrested in all of 2008 for minor marijuana possession while 345 black women were arrested for the same offense.
Overall in 2008 for Philadelphia: 4716 adults were arrested for simple pot possession: 3908 were black men. READ MORE
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Madam Potts
Dan Shapiro
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Comments
I understand what you are saying and there is a racial imbalance in the drug war. Society has a predisposition to think the majority of pot smoking is taking place in poorer urban areas so police efforts are concentrated there. I would bet most of the pot smoking activity is taking place outdoors. In reality most pot smoking is probably taking place in white middle and upper middle class homes, but unless there is a reason for police to come to those homes it will go undetected.
M Todd: I understand your very logical reasoning. That hypothetical may be true with other substances....but not really marijuana......Ever been to a Steve Miller Band concert? Or a show at the TLA on South St? Around here you can find plenty of our finest caucasian women smoking blunts in the parking lot before the Phillies games..... Seriously, far more than 9 white women in the month of August 2008 in Philadelphia had to have been observed with marijuana outside by police or had some during a traffic stop etc. Pot smoking is a social activity for many. In a town that hosts Mummers parades, 4 strong sports teams and a multiplicity of indoor and outdoor concert venues it is hard to agree that just 9...the whole month....were actually arrested....
All the white women in Philly do not smoke pot indoors within gated communities with private security. This is a more complex issue....But while the stats on white women are not surprising they are still striking.
I think in the minds of most Americans, when they think of drug use they think black and urban although just as much usage is happening in the suburbs. For example those using crack cocaine (primarly black) received harsher punishments than powdered cocaine users (primarly white) because of deep seated racism. I think that also, higher crime areas will result in drug bust because the original crime gave the police a reason to search individuals and discover drugs. Once this is done an immediate connection is made to the crime and drugs even if drugs were not the reason for the crime in the first place. I think to the police finding marijuana gives additional justification for their stopping and searching of individuals. Frankly they do it because they can get away with it in black areas. If they started stopping kids in shopping malls or suburban schools with the same frequency there would be public outcry not to mention law suits.
The simple fact is those over the age of 50 believe the drug problem is an urban problem and the high amounts of arrest of black only reinforce that misconception.