Skip to content

Tuesday, Apr. 23, 2024

Does marijuana possession account for 57% of all arrests in Wisconsin?

Tom Kertscher, Wisconsin Watch
no

Of the 196,643 arrests in Wisconsin in 2023, 13,708 — 7% — were for marijuana possession, according to the Wisconsin Justice Department.

The recent range is narrow:

2019: 6.2%

2020: 6%

2021: 6.6%

2022: 6.7%

Arrest counts are based on the most serious charge issued in a case. They include adult and juvenile arrests.

Wisconsin state Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, claimed in an April 16, 2024, social media post that 57% of all Wisconsin arrests were for marijuana possession.

His staff told Wisconsin Watch that Larson meant to say 57% of drug arrests, based on an ACLU of Wisconsin report about 2018 arrests, and that the staff would try to get his comment corrected in an article that quoted Larson. The article was revised.

Justice Department figures show a slightly lower percentage: In 2023, marijuana possession constituted 52.7% of all drug arrests.

Twenty-four states have legalized the recreational use of marijuana.

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

About fact briefs

Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.

See all fact briefs

Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.

Learn More

Latest Fact Briefs

Be a Friend of facts

Help us fund more great fact briefs like this one.