New York Times:

Between January and June, Seattle police wrote 82 tickets for public consumption of pot in a state that voted in 2012 to legalize the sale of cannabis to adults for recreational use but does not allow it to be used in public places.

Of those 82 tickets, 36 percent were issued to African-Americans, who make up just eight percent of Seattle's population, according to the police report and census data. Most of the African Americans ticketed were men, the report found.

A map of where these tickets were issued and information about the age of the offenders would be telling. As someone who lives in South Seattle and uses the 7 bus regularly, I can honestly say that there are a lot of young black males who seem to have no idea that smoking pot in public is not legal. I have only seen two types brazenly blaze in the open in my area: young black males and homeless men. And indeed...

Also hit heavily with citations were people who reported to be homeless or living in vacant lots, shelters or hotels. About 46 percent of those ticketed did not have a permanent address, the report found.

It's also interesting that I almost never see young black males drinking in public—that's something I and other older black males do (and we are always cautious about it). And here is something I have also noticed: If a police officer spots you drinking in public (he sees you, you see your bottle or can), the thing to do is to make a display of hiding your offence. The visibility of the action confirms their authority, and officers tend to be satisfied with this confirmation, and continue on with their business. Here is where I like to drink in public: