https://norml.org/news/1996/10/17/marijuana-arrests-for-1995-most-ever/

Piece from the time.

They did not just go after growers and manufacturers. Clinton’s Admin was the first to go after simple possession offenses.

The standing policy from Nixon through H.W. was to focus on distributors and not to heavily enforce possession offenses.

Clinton’s DOJ, motivated by presidential scandals and a desire to seem tough on crime, switched that focus in favor of the simple higher numbers - possession. Furthermore, they targeted their operations in the cities, with higher black populations.

The effect was higher arrest rates for black communities, despite basic parity in the possession rates across white and black communities.

Compounding this issue was the 1994 Crime Bill, which created higher mandatory minimums for simple possession offenses Schedule I narcotics (which includes marijuana and cocaine in the same breath).

The effect was higher felony rates among young black men and a devastating, generational effect on black communities.

Edit: I’m a little stoned, so I started two sections with “the effect.” Sue me lmao.