Ever since recreational pot use became legal in Colorado, marijuana arrests in western Nebraska have been climbing, reports The Lincoln Journal-Star.
Sheriffs and prosecutors have been reporting more marijuana arrests after the change in Colorado law, but it wasn’t known if this was true or simply hearsay. However, recent arrest numbers uncovered in a new study by the University of Nebraska at Omaha confirmed the trend. But researchers couldn't conclude whether the new Colorado law was solely responsible for the rise in arrests.
It’s possible the increase could be the result of redoubled law enforcement efforts by Nebraska police. Nebraska's marijuana arrest rate increased by 11 percent between 2013 and 2014, when pot became legal in Colorado. During that same period, Nebraska spent an estimated $10 million enforcing marijuana laws, an 11 percent increase over the previous year.
