DENVER -- Those in favor of legalizing marijuana for recreational use are counting the number of arrests for using the drug in Colorado.
A new report that has data going back to 1986 shows arrests for marijuana possession have significantly increased over the past 10 years.
Of the 210,328 arrests reported in Colorado, more than half came in the most recent decade.
Arrests went from about 4,000 in 1985 to more than 10,000 in 2010. The activists said two-thirds of those arrested were 25 or younger and that 36 percent were black or Latino. The numbers come from FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
Colorado's marijuana debate includes a back-and-forth over pot possession and the impact on the criminal justice system. Activists are using the numbers to suggest courts could save a lot of time, resources and money if Amendment 64, which is on the November ballot, is passed.
Marijuana possession in Colorado is a petty offense, but people charged with pot possession still have to appear in criminal court.
Opponents of marijuana legalization argue that marijuana possession is such a minor crime that full legalization isn't needed. They planned a rival event Thursday with mothers and women who oppose legalization.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.
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