Payton Guion | NJ Advance Media
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New Jersey may be closer than ever to having legal weed, but people in the Garden State are more likely to be arrested for marijuana than almost anywhere else in the country.
A recently published analysis of marijuana arrest data shows that in 2016 New Jersey was third in the nation in total marijuana arrests -- after Texas and New York -- and second only to Wyoming in marijuana arrest rate.
In 2016, 35,700 people were arrested in New Jersey for either marijuana possession or distribution, according to data from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program.
Jon Gettman, criminal justice professor at Shenandoah University in Virginia, analyzed the FBI's arrest data to get the state-by-state number of marijuana arrests.
Gettman said New Jersey's high marijuana arrest rate is likely to do with increased police activity in the state.
"When you have greater police activity in a certain neighborhood...you're going to have more marijuana arrests," he said.
According to the latest available data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, New Jersey is one of the states with most police officers per capita. Gettman said when there are more police making more stops, there are going to be more marijuana possession arrests.
See below for how New Jersey's marijuana arrest data compares to other states.
1. Wyoming
- Possession arrests in 2016: 2,248
Distribution arrests in 2016: 173
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 2,421
Population: 583,029
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 415.2
Payton Guion | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
2. New Jersey
- Possession arrests in 2016: 32,263
Distribution arrests in 2016: 3,437
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 35,700
Population: 8.9 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 400.4
3. South Dakota
- Possession arrests in 2016: 3,116
Distribution arrests in 2016: 150
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 3,266
Population: 851,058
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 383.8
4. New Hampshire
- Possession arrests in 2016: 3,890
Distribution arrests in 2016: 1,114
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 5,004
Population: 1.3 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 376.9
5. Missouri
- Possession arrests in 2016: 21,277
Distribution arrests in 2016: 1,185
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 22,462
Population: 6.1 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 370.7
6. North Dakota
- Possession arrests in 2016: 2,513
Distribution arrests in 2016: 151
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 2,664
Population: 736,162
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 361.9
7. South Carolina
- Possession arrests in 2016: 15,889
Distribution arrests in 2016: 1,434
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 17,323
Population: 4.8 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 358.9
8. Louisiana
- Possession arrests in 2016: 14,891
Distribution arrests in 2016: 1,727
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 16,618
Population: 4.7 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 357.7
9. Nebraska
- Possession arrests in 2016: 5,938
Distribution arrests in 2016: 318
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 6,256
Population: 1.9 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 332.5
10. Tennessee
- Possession arrests in 2016: 18,714
Distribution arrests in 2016: 2,506
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 21,220
Population: 6.6 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 324.1
11. Wisconsin
- Possession arrests in 2016: 15,925
Distribution arrests in 2016: 1,768
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 17,693
Population: 5.8 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 307.4
12. Maryland
- Possession arrests in 2016: 15,295
Distribution arrests in 2016: 1,933
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 17,228
Population: 6 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 289.1
13. Arkansas
- Possession arrests in 2016: 7,620
Distribution arrests in 2016: 901
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 8,521
Population: 3 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 287.1
14. Georgia
- Possession arrests in 2016: 25,743
Distribution arrests in 2016: 2,480
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 28,223
Population: 10.1 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 279.5
15. Virginia
- Possession arrests in 2016: 19,707
Distribution arrests in 2016: 1,930
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 21,637
Population: 8.3 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 260.4
16. Oklahoma
- Possession arrests in 2016: 8,702
Distribution arrests in 2016: 1,091
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 9,793
Population: 3.9 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 252.7
17. Idaho
- Possession arrests in 2016: 3,943
Distribution arrests in 2016: 186
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 4,129
Population: 1.6 million
- Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 252.5
18. Arizona
- Possession arrests in 2016: 15,021
Distribution arrests in 2016: 1,252
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 16,273
Population: 6.7 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 241.8
19. Texas
- Possession arrests in 2016: 63,599
Distribution arrests in 2016: 1,350
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 64,949
Population: 27 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 240.9
20. Michigan
- Possession arrests in 2016: 19,433
Distribution arrests in 2016: 2,882
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 22,315
Population: 9.9 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 225.2
21. Nevada
- Possession arrests in 2016: 5,415
Distribution arrests in 2016: 816
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 6,231
Population: 2.8 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 219.5
22. Utah
- Possession arrests in 2016: 5,752
Distribution arrests in 2016: 330
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 6,082
Population: 3 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 206.3
23. Maine
- Possession arrests in 2016: 2,445
Distribution arrests in 2016: 201
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 2,646
Population: 1.3 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 199
24. Mississippi
- Possession arrests in 2016: 5,418
Distribution arrests in 2016: 431
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 5,849
Population: 3 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 195.7
25. New Mexico
- Possession arrests in 2016: 3,653
Distribution arrests in 2016: 286
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 3,939
Population: 2.1 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 189.1
26. New York
- Possession arrests in 2016: 36,977
Distribution arrests in 2016: Not available for the whole state
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 36,977
Population: 19.7 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 187.7
27. Pennsylvania
- Possession arrests in 2016: 19,710
Distribution arrests in 2016: 4,134
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 23,844
Population: 12.8 million
- Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 186.5
28. Iowa
- Possession arrests in 2016: 5,129
Distribution arrests in 2016: 479
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 5,608
Population: 3.1 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 180.5
29. Kansas
- Possession arrests in 2016: 3,828
Distribution arrests in 2016: 979
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 4,807
Population: 2.9 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 165.9
30. Ohio
- Possession arrests in 2016: 17,714
Distribution arrests in 2016: 1,017
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 18,731
Population: 11.6 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 161.7
Payton Guion | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
31. North Carolina
- Possession arrests in 2016: 14,619
Distribution arrests in 2016: 1,270
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 15,889
Population: 9.9 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 159.8
32. West Virginia
- Possession arrests in 2016: 2,533
Distribution arrests in 2016: 368
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 2,901
Population: 1.9 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 157.1
33. Indiana
- Possession arrests in 2016: 8,953
Distribution arrests in 2016: 1,190
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 10,143
Population: 6.6 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 153.9
34. Delaware
- Possession arrests in 2016: 1,129
Distribution arrests in 2016: 264
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 1,393
Population: 934,695
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 149
35. Montana
- Possession arrests in 2016: 1,413
Distribution arrests in 2016: 77
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 1,490
Population: 1 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 145.6
36. Kentucky
- Possession arrests in 2016: 5,117
Distribution arrests in 2016: 920
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 6,037
Population: 4.4 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 136.8
37. Colorado
- Possession arrests in 2016: 4,636
Distribution arrests in 2016: 462
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 5,098
Population: 5.4 million
- Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 95.1
38. Minnesota
- Possession arrests in 2016: 4,013
Distribution arrests in 2016: 1,162
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 5,175
Population: 5.5 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 94.9
39. Oregon
- Possession arrests in 2016: 3,064
Distribution arrests in 2016: 131
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 3,195
Population: 4 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 80.2
40. Hawaii
- Possession arrests in 2016: 1,031
Distribution arrests in 2016: 45
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 1,076
Population: 1.4 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 76.1
41. Connecticut
- Possession arrests in 2016: 1,941
Distribution arrests in 2016: 665
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 2,606
Population: 3.6 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 72.6
42. Alabama
- Possession arrests in 2016: 2,553
Distribution arrests in 2016: 202
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 2,755
Population: 4.8 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 56.9
43. Rhode Island
- Possession arrests in 2016: 331
Distribution arrests in 2016: 107
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 438
Population: 1.1 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 41.5
44. California
- Possession arrests in 2016: 7,675
Distribution arrests in 2016: 6,108
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 13,783
Population: 38.7 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 35.7
45. Alaska
- Possession arrests in 2016: 226
Distribution arrests in 2016: 22
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 248
Population: 736,855
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 33.7
46. Washington (state)
- Possession arrests in 2016: 1,612
Distribution arrests in 2016: 222
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 1,834
Population: 7.1 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 25.9
47. Vermont
- Possession arrests in 2016: 84
Distribution arrests in 2016: 38
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 122
Population: 626,249
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 19.5
48. Massachusetts
- Possession arrests in 2016: 386
Distribution arrests in 2016: 661
Total marijuana arrests in 2016: 1,047
Population: 6.7 million
Arrest rate (per 100,000 people): 15.5
Marijuana arrest data not available for:
- Florida
- Illinois
- Washington, D.C.
More marijuana links
- N.J. Cannabis Insider: A premium intelligence briefing
- N.J. training more cops to spot driving-while-high to prepare for legal weed
- Legal weed could be big business in N.J. and women may be best customers
- Bernie Sanders joins Cory Booker's push to legalize marijuana
- Legal weed companies could rake in billions. So why don't people want to work for them?
Are you interested in the N.J. cannabis industry? Subscribe here for exclusive insider information from NJ Cannabis Insider.
Erin Petenko contributed to this report and created the interactive graphic.
Payton Guion may be reached at PGuion@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaytonGuion. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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