Recreational marijuana use is legal in four states, but Georgia isn’t one of them. And it won’t be joining the list anytime soon, a new ranking released Tuesday suggests.
The Peach State ranked third after Alabama and Arkansas among 11 states least likely to legalize marijuana use, according to the 24/7 Wall St. ranking. The study was based on a review of marijuana laws and penalties for possession in each state.
Idaho came in fourth, followed by Indiana, Kansas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming.
Georgia arrested more people for marijuana possession and related offenses than most other states on the list, according to data collected by 24/7 Wall St., a financial news and opinion company.
There were 30,611 marijuana-related arrests in Georgia in 2012 and about 309 marijuana-related arrests for every 100,000 residents, 24/7 Wall St. reported. That means Georgia’s rate is significantly more than the national rate of 239 marijuana-related arrests for every 100,000 people, according to the report.
Those arrests can have pretty costly consequences for suspects.
An adult in Georgia caught with more than 1 ounce of marijuana may face felony charges, a $5,000 fine and a minimum of one year incarceration.
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