U.S. police made at least 218,152 marijuana arrests in 2025, according to FBI data, and about 92% of them were for possession alone. That is roughly a quarter of the 2007 peak of more than 870,000 arrests, but it still works out to about 600 arrests a day, and the true number is higher because about 13% of police agencies did not report.
This page first ran in 2012 to report that marijuana arrests had dipped in 2011, to about 758,000, after five straight years above 800,000. A lot has changed since: two dozen states have legalized adult use, and the FBI overhauled how it collects crime data. Below is the year-by-year record from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program and its Crime Data Explorer, with notes on what the numbers can and cannot tell you.
Marijuana Arrests in the U.S. by Year
| Year | Marijuana arrests | Share for possession | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 734,497 | 88% | 646,042 for possession |
| 2007 | More than 870,000 | n/a | All-time peak; 48% of all drug arrests |
| 2010 | More than 800,000 | n/a | Marijuana was 52% of drug arrests |
| 2011 | About 758,000 | 87% | The year this page first covered |
| 2018 | 663,367 | 92% | 40% of 1.65 million drug arrests |
| 2019 | 545,602 | 92% | 500,395 for possession |
| 2020 | About 350,000 | 91% | Estimate; pandemic year |
| 2021 | 219,489 | n/a | New FBI system; only 63% of agencies reported |
| 2022 | 227,108 | 92% | About 30% of reported drug arrests |
| 2023 | 217,150 | 92% | 200,306 for possession |
| 2024 | 204,036 | 92% | 187,792 for possession |
| 2025 | 218,152 | 92% | 200,960 for possession; 13% of agencies missing |
Sources: FBI UCR data as compiled by Drug War Facts (2000, 2019), Pew Research Center (2010, 2011 and 2018 shares) and NORML’s annual analyses of the FBI release for 2020, 2021 and 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Raw figures are in the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer.
The Big Picture: 21 Million Arrests Since 1990
Adding up the FBI’s annual figures, NORML counts more than 21.3 million marijuana arrests from 1990 through 2025:
- 1990 to 1999: 5,132,304
- 2000 to 2009: 7,877,165
- 2010 to 2019: 6,921,146
- 2020 to 2025: 1,436,085
The 2000s were the peak decade, when marijuana possession was the single most common drug arrest in the country. Arrests began to fall after 2010, slowly at first and then sharply once states started legalizing. For the policy history behind those numbers, see our look at the war on drugs and marijuana.
Why Marijuana Arrests Fell
Legalization
Washington and Colorado legalized adult use in 2012, and 24 states plus Washington, D.C., had adult-use laws by 2026. Where possession of small amounts by adults is legal, most of those arrests simply stop. In 2018, Pew found that marijuana arrests made up just 15% of drug arrests in the West, where legalization started, versus about half in the Northeast, Midwest and South.
Decriminalization and local priorities
Many states that have not legalized have reduced small-amount possession to a civil fine, and many prosecutors stopped charging it. Texas, which has not legalized, made more than 50,000 fewer marijuana arrests in 2019 than in 2018, accounting for much of that year’s national decline, NORML noted.
The pandemic
Arrests of all kinds dropped in 2020, and marijuana arrests fell about 36% that year by NORML’s estimate.
Where Marijuana Arrests Still Happen
Arrests are now concentrated in states without legal adult use. In 2025, ten states accounted for well over half of all marijuana arrests reported to the FBI, NORML’s state analysis found. Texas led with roughly 29,000 arrests, about 13% of the national total, and 98% of its arrests were for simple possession. Other high-arrest states included North Carolina, Wisconsin, Georgia, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Indiana, Louisiana and Alabama. Our state guides to Indiana, Tennessee and South Carolina marijuana laws explain the penalties people there still face.
Arrests also continue in legal states, for selling without a license, possessing more than the legal limit, use by people under 21 and driving while impaired. In Washington, for example, adults may carry up to 1 ounce of flower, but growing at home is still a crime unless you are a registered medical patient.
Who Gets Arrested
Marijuana enforcement has never fallen evenly. The ACLU’s analysis of FBI data found that Black Americans were 3.64 times more likely than white Americans to be arrested for marijuana possession, even though surveys show the two groups use cannabis at similar rates, in its report A Tale of Two Countries. That report counted 6.1 million marijuana arrests from 2010 to 2018. Those disparities are a big part of why expungement and pardon programs now accompany most legalization laws.
How to Read the FBI Numbers
- The 2021 break. In 2021 the FBI retired its old Summary Reporting System and switched to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). Thousands of agencies did not report that year, so 2021 and later counts cannot be compared directly with earlier years.
- Missing agencies. About 13% of agencies did not submit 2025 arrest data, so the 218,152 total is a floor, not a ceiling.
- Unspecified drug arrests. The FBI also records tens of thousands of drug arrests with no drug listed. Some may involve marijuana; nobody knows how many.
- Estimates vs. counts. Before 2021 the FBI published national estimates. Since then, most figures are counts from reporting agencies, and some years, such as 2020, rely on estimates by outside analysts.
- Federal arrests are separate. The FBI’s UCR figures come from state and local police. Federal agencies such as the DEA report their own, much smaller, numbers.
Even with those caveats, the direction is clear: marijuana arrests fell by roughly three-quarters from their peak, and possession still makes up more than nine in ten of those that remain. Changes in federal law, including the April 2026 move of state-licensed medical marijuana to Schedule III, do not affect state possession arrests; see our federal marijuana law guide for details.
Marijuana Arrests FAQ
How many people are arrested for marijuana each year?
At least 218,152 in 2025, according to FBI data, with about 92% for possession. Because about 13% of agencies did not report, the real number is higher.
What year had the most marijuana arrests?
2007, with more than 870,000 marijuana arrests, which made up 48% of all drug arrests that year.
How many marijuana arrests were there in 2011?
About 758,000, down from more than 800,000 a year from 2006 through 2010. Roughly 87% were for possession.
Which state has the most marijuana arrests?
Texas, with roughly 29,000 marijuana arrests in 2025, about 13% of the national total.
Are people still arrested for weed in legal states?
Yes, for unlicensed sales, possession over the legal limit, use by people under 21 and impaired driving, though small-amount possession by adults is no longer an arrestable offense there.
Why are FBI marijuana arrest numbers hard to compare over time?
The FBI switched reporting systems in 2021, and the number of agencies reporting varies each year, so recent totals are undercounts and do not line up neatly with pre-2021 estimates.
For adults 21+ in legal states. General information, not medical advice or legal advice.
