In the United States, someone is arrested for possessing a recreational amount of illegal drugs every 25 seconds, according to a new study from Human Rights Watch. A disproportionate number of those arrested are black people , despite similar usage patterns to whites. And despite the falling number of arrests made for violent crimes over the past 10 years, the number of drug-related arrests actually rose 13 percent.

The study found that in 2015, there were 574,641 arrests made for small amounts of marijuana. There were only 505,681 arrests for violent crimes, including rape, murder, and aggravated assault. As the authors note, faults in policing and racial profiling contribute to this trend:

The sheer magnitude of drug possession arrests means that they are a defining feature of the way certain communities experience police in the United States. For many people, drug laws shape their interactions with and views of the police and contribute to a breakdown of trust and a lack of security.

There are additional costs to getting arrested for personal possession of marijuana than jail time, of course. Legal fees and bonds are expensive, and a criminal record could make those charged unemployable. But yes, calling for even more "law and order" should fix the problem of racial profiling and policing in America. The war on drugs is an utter failure. Just look at the heroin epidemic.

[h/t: The New York Times

Sarah Rense Sarah Rense is the Associate Lifestyle Editor at Esquire, where she covers tech, food, drink, home, and more.

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