DEA didn’t explicitly connect the dots between the legalization movement—which has provided adults 21 and older, as well as patients, with a regulated supply of cannabis in numerous states across the country—and the decline of Mexican-produced marijuana entering the U.S.
Meanwhile, federal prosecutions over marijuana dropped again in 2021, with fewer than 1,000 people charged in cannabis trafficking cases, according to a recent report from the federal U.S.
This represents a continuation of a trend that’s been playing out in recent years, especially as more states have move to legalize cannabis and federal officials have seemingly adopted policies placing less emphasis on going after people over marijuana.