Marijuana Arrests Reach All-Time High

[RS Davis]

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS

by James W. Harris

Marijuana Arrests Reach All-Time High



Just days before millions of voters will consider state measures to reform marijuana laws, the FBI has reported that marijuana arrests last year reached an all-time record high.

The FBI reported that there were 755,186 arrests for marijuana in 2003 -- far more than the 597,026 arrests that same year *for all violent crimes combined.* And it comes during a time when politicians bemoan the lack of law enforcement resources for fighting terrorism.

Fully 88 percent of these marijuana arrests were for simple possession, not sale or manufacture.

Robert Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C., notes that, while failing to curb marijuana use, prohibition continues to cause tragedies like the death of Jonathan Magbie, a quadriplegic medical marijuana patient who died last month in a Washington, D.C., jail while serving a 10-day sentence for marijuana possession.

Kampia also noted that the vast majority of marijuana users are "responsible users" who harm no one by their marijuana use.

Voters across the U.S. will consider a variety of marijuana policy reforms on November 2. A medical marijuana proposal is on the ballot in Montana. In Oregon, voters will decide whether to expand their existing medical marijuana law to allow patients to obtain their medicine from state-regulated dispensaries. As the Liberator Online reported earlier, Alaska's vote is particularly exciting: voters will consider replacing marijuana prohibition with a system that treats marijuana sales like alcohol.

Oakland, California, voters will also decide whether to endorse taxation and regulation while making private, adult marijuana offenses the lowest priority for local law enforcement. Other reforms will be on some ballots in Michigan, Massachusetts, and Missouri.

(Source: Marijuana Policy Project:
www.mpp.org )

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[outgirl]

Oh this is ridiculous to clutter up our courts with this shit. It's just a money making scheme like what happened to snootch. They need to get real. What a waste of time this is.

[whatever]

outgirl said:

Oh this is ridiculous to clutter up our courts with this shit. It's just a money making scheme like what happened to snootch. They need to get real. What a waste of time this is.

Yeah, I heard that on the news. Not surprised; I've been hearing how they've been increasingly targeting it.

So much worse than a waste of time, or even money too outgirl. It's a terrible waste of human lives. Prison. Going to prison, and seeing, doing and experiencing things they never wanted. For extended periods of time. For a non-toxic non-addictive drug, which is as old as anything else in human hisory. It's never killed anyone on it's own, yet they use it to do this. So sad.

I think, in all reality, this time in history and our "drug war" will be looked back on in wonder for it's horrible effects on our people individually, in groups, and the nation overall. Like we do with slavery. How could anyone have believed that was okay then? And now? I have no damn clue.

Sometimes I wish I believed it too, just for comfort's sake. Long term though, I'm glad I don't buy it. Because oddly enough, the drug war targets almost the same groups of people. How despicable, and sad, and obviously a predatory action. And that's an uglieness I've never, ever wanted to be a part of. I wish I could express this feeling to the many well-meaning people that believe in the war on drugs.

[DanzaSlap]

whatever said:

How despicable, and sad, and obviously a predatory action. And that's an uglieness I've never, ever wanted to be a part of. I wish I could express this feeling to the many well-meaning people that believe in the war on drugs.

People simply aren't willing to listen, whatever. It's incredible that people have such a closed mind when it comes to drugs. The thing that I don't understand most is how some people seem to believe that being a drug user signifies some moral deficiency of some kind. I mean, why else would you want to lock someone up just for drug possesion? (Side note: in Alabama, three marijuana arrests can get you life in prison)

I just bought 19 hours worth of educational films off eBay, and I was watching some of the drug ones last night. The shit is hysterical, but as I was watching their portrayal of the heroin junkie who can only think of getting his next fix, my thought was, "This guy's a criminal?" Clearly, if someone is willing to do anything to alleviate the withdrawal sypmtoms of heroin, I would say that person has an illness, not a moral failing. Personally, I would prescribe heroin to people with a physical heroin addiction (as is done in Great Britain).

But I digress from the original point of this thread. I would say that 80% of the people I've ever talk to believe marijuana should, at the very least, be decriminalized. I think, however, that the government does a good job of saying, "Oh, we're not looking to arrest the small-time pot user," and people believe them. Most people don't look at the stats that show that statement to be an out-and-out lie. Some people apparently still trust the government... when will they learn? I think that if more people knew exactly how much time and money was being wasted on arresting marijuana smokers, especially with terrorism such a hot topic, weed would be legalized rather quickly.

Of course, the pharmaceutical lobby will never allow that to happen. Hopefully, the Supreme Court will throw the issue of drug legalization back to the states (where it should have been all along).