Structural Racism and Cannabis: A Big Data Story

Sometimes data just proves what you already know. Baltimore City's top prosecutor, Marilyn Mosby, recently declared that her office would no longer prosecute marijuana possession cases. Her statement comes on the heels of an investigative report in the Baltimore Fishbowl by Ethan McLeod, Andy Friedman, and Brandon Soderberg showing that, although overall cannabis-related arrests have decreased since cannabis decriminalization, data indicate the Baltimoreans still being arrested for cannabis remain almost entirely and disproportionately black. Come out to participate with Ethan, Andy, and Brandon in a discussion about their story, how it came together, and how data-driven journalism can affect public policy.