Analyzing the Effects of Marijuana Decriminalization
Background
The team works with APA’s Law and Public Policy Committee to analyze marijuana decriminalization. In 2015, Pittsburgh passed an ordinance that helps decriminalize marijuana, in which for small volumes of marijuana possession, police officers are only supposed to hand out fines and citations, not arrest people. However, this ordinance has not been acted upon equally amongst all citizens.
Details
Specifically, in this project, the team aimed to address the questions:
- How has the 2015 ordinance impacted marijuana arrests?
- How has it impacted the economic development of communities, and played a role in incarceration rates?
We focused on analyzing arrest data and visualizing arrests in Allegheny County in a map / dashboard. Then, we compiled a report to present back to APA’s Law and Public Policy Committee to help inform them of marijuana decriminalization advocacy.
About the Partner
Alliance for Police Accountability is dedicated to criminal justice reconstruction, specializing in community/police relations.
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