Final answer:
The most common violation leading to citations each year in the U.S. is for marijuana-related offenses, despite the trend towards legalization and decriminalization.
Step-by-step explanation:
The violation that leads to the most number of citations issued each year in the United States is related to marijuana-related offenses. Despite many states legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana, the production and consumption of cannabis still result in a significant number of arrests and citations. According to the FBI, police arrested around 1.5 million people annually for various drug abuse violations, with a large portion of these for marijuana offenses. This number outweighs citations for other common offenses such as academic dishonesty, FCC violations including indecency and equal time rules, and even speeding or cell phone use while driving.