News » Marijuana Arrests Near 100/aph – That’s Arrests Per Hour





In 1965 the arrest rate for marijuana was close to 2 per hour, however this quickly increased to nearly 40 per hour leading up to and after the passing of the Controlled Substances Act in 1970. Jump forward 40 years and the numbers are staggering, reaching a high of 99.6 per hour in 2007 with 2009 coming in a close second. While the numbers for 2010 will not be released for some time, there is no reason to think there will be any major decrease. With marijuana comprising 52% of all drug arrests, and 88% of those for possession only, we can see that the war on drugs is really a war on the citizens of the United States.

Studies have been conducted showing that marijuana is certainly no more dangerous, and in fact safer, than tobacco or alcohol with health related costs of $20 per user compared to $165 for alcohol and $800 for tobacco. Once you factor in the medical uses for marijuana, it is easy to see why medical marijuana laws have been passed in 14 states and the District of Columbia, and why proponents of Proposition 19 in California support its regulation instead of its criminalization.

“The numbers tell the story; the enforcement of criminal marijuana laws and the prosecution of marijuana offenders, in particular minor marijuana possession defendants, is driving the present drug war,” says NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano. “Those who claim otherwise would be better off advocating for a long-overdue reprioritization of law enforcement resources and concerns.”

[source NORML]

Tags: arrests, controlled substances act, legal, NORML, Prop 19