Chart showing the number of arrests for drug possession and drug sales/manufacturing from 1980 to 2020. For the last 20 years -- except for big drops in 2020 caused by the pandemic -- the number of arrests for drug sales have slightly declined, while the number of arrests for possession have grown.

Data Source: See "Data sources" section of full report. (Graph: Wendy Sawyer & Peter Wagner, 2022)

This graph originally appeared in Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2022.

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