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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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.