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How marijuana arrests disproportionately affect black people

"One of the biggest lies in the history of this country," according to Fox News' Bill O'Reilly, is the claim that the so-called "war on drugs" disproportionate
Suspect Gerald Ware (R) stands handcuffed in the doorway of his home as police conduct a raid in search of illegal drugs during the execution of a search warrant for marijuana in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on November 12, 2009 file picture.  (Photo by John...
Suspect Gerald Ware (R) stands handcuffed in the doorway of his home as police conduct a raid in search of illegal drugs during the execution of a search...
Credit: msnbc's All In with Chris Hayes
Credit: msnbc's All In with Chris Hayes

"One of the biggest lies in the history of this country," according to Fox News' Bill O'Reilly, is the claim that the so-called "war on drugs" disproportionately targets African-Americans. But it's not a lie at all, according to statistics collected by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Black people are nearly four times as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession as white people, as the above chart demonstrates. This is despite the fact that black and white Americans smoke cannabis at roughly the same rate.

You can read more about racial disparities in the war on drugs here. Watch the video below to see msnbc's Chris Hayes take Bill O'Reilly to task for dismissing its harmful impact.