According to the California Public Policy Institute, approximately 511,600 misdemeanor arrests were made in California in 2022. About one in four (25.4%) of these arrests were for drug offenses. The penalties for drug-related crimes in Los Angeles depend on a variety of factors, including the type of drugs involved, the quantity found in your possession, whether you intended to sell or distribute it, and your previous criminal record. A significant change in California drug laws went into effect in November 2014 when California voters approved Proposition 47, a decriminalization initiative. This measure reclassified the possession of certain controlled substances—like methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and concentrated cannabis—from felony offenses to misdemeanors. Despite the change in drug laws under Prop. 47, tens of thousands of people in Los Angeles County are arrested each year on drug charges.