The POT WAR....by the numbers.....

[Bennyboy]

Marijuana Arrests Set New Record for 4th Year in a Row, Exceed All Violent Crimes Combined

WASHINGTON, D.C. — For the fourth year in a row, U.S. marijuana arrests set an all-time record in 2006, according to the just-released FBI Uniform Crime Reports. Marijuana arrests totaled 829,627, an increase from 786,545 in 2005. Similar to previous years, 738,916 or 89 percent were for possession, not sale or manufacture, and marijuana possession arrests again exceeded arrests for all violent crimes combined.

"The steady escalation of marijuana arrests is happening in direct defiance of public opinion," said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C. "Voters in communities all over the country, from Denver to Seattle to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and Missoula County, Montana, have passed measures saying they don't want marijuana arrests to be a priority, yet marijuana arrests have set an all-time record for four years running. It appears that police are taking their cue from White House Drug Czar John Walters, who is obsessed with marijuana, rather than the public who pays their salaries.

"The bottom line is that we are wasting billions of dollars each year on a failed policy," Kampia continued. "Despite record arrests, marijuana use remains higher than it was 15 years ago, when arrests were less than half the present level, and marijuana is the number one cash crop in the U.S. Marijuana is scientifically proven to be far safer than alcohol, and it's time to start regulating marijuana the same way we regulate wine, beer and liquor."

With more than 23,000 members and 100,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit www.MarijuanaPolicy.org .

Date: 9/24/2007

http://www.mpp.org/site/c.glKZLeMQIsG/b.1493403/apps/nl...


Now with 829,627 people arrested, at a cost to the taxpayer of $10,000.00 average per bust that comes to $82,962,700,000.00 cost for the taxpayers of the US. PER YEAR.

The costs are for police time for the busts. Court time. Public defenders. prosecutors, Judges parole,probation. Imprisonment.

[annabanana]

1. Got to keep the Big Prison industry humming, you know...

AND.. Grover says we have to continue to drain the coffers . .

So, arrest those dope fiends....

:sarcasm:

[LunaSea]

2. Any totals for fines and seizures?

How much is being made from these?
Never mind the slave-labor aspect of imprisonment.

[porphyrian]

3. Legalize pot already. -n/t

[Bennyboy]

4. Some other numbers.....

Population of California; 36,457,549
5% of population smokes pot = 1,822,877 pot smokers in CA
1/8 ounce smoked per smoker weekly=1,822,877 1/8 oz=227,859.68 ounces of pot smoked per week in CA
11,848,703.425 ounces smoked per year in CA.
740,543.96 pounds smoked in CA per year.

Total crop value @ 2,000 per pound=$1,481,087,928.125

So CA needs that many plants at an average yield of 1 pound per plant.

Now I think more than 5% puff pot here. I also think that 1/8 oz a week is low.

[panader0]

5. 1/8 oz a week? Do they actually inhale?

I've smoked about a pound a year since 1968. Doing great. it's a bit dry around here these days. The crops should be in soon.

[Bennyboy]

6. 1/3 of an ounce a week.

If you puff a pound a year.

[druidity33]

7. have any candidates

called for the legalization/decriminalization of MJ? Or of Industrial Hemp?

I'm a Kucinich supporter so i know he has, but has anyone else?
:shrug:

[Bennyboy]

11. Ron Paul...(Strange bedfellows content)

[percussivemadness]

8. I heard Joe Biden

It shortly going to draw up legislation that will be thrown out by every committee but with the backing of a few Reslugs, will get to the floor attached to Saving Puppies from Murder legislation.

Its called the RAMEN Act, Reducing American`s Marijuana Exposure Now!.

Or will he do that after enough muppets support him to help him win the POTUS?

In fact his new slogan is going to be Vote Biden - Prison Owners Love Him

Peace

[Rex]

9. Packin a bowl for the honor of all those arrested over total BULLSHIT.

Hey cops, fuck maryjane. You just set yourselves up to be fools and tools. Don't be a loser, arrest politicians not potheads.

[percussivemadness]

10. another interesting stat concerning Biden`s RAVE Act

"Marijuana Arrests Set New Record for 4th Year in a Row, Exceed All Violent Crimes Combined"

Biden`s RAVE Act passed in 2003...

Coincidence???

Peace

[Bennyboy]

12. I could never vote for Biden due to the RAVE act...

As a music promoter he just killed my business. I put on hippie rock and roll shows. people puff the weed. Nobody cares. but I could be arrested or everyone that puffs.

[percussivemadness]

13. wait for the Biden nuts to start screeching in denial

However, I 100% agree with you. If people could only be bothered to see the fascist legislation this corrupt politician introduced, I doubt if Biden would even get on the ballot.

The fact that he is says it all.

Peace

[phusion]

15. Biden was also behind...

The creation of the White House "Drug Czar" post.

http://www.joebiden.com/issues?id=0008

Thanks for the reminder re: the RAVE Act. Biden has lost my support.

[percussivemadness]

17. You Are Welcome

Now if every Dem would feel the same way and Biden gets hammered in the primaries, then Karma will have been served.

I am still staggered how this man can garnish one solitary vote from any DEM after the RAVE Act.

Peace

[malaise]

14. If they locked up people for ganja in Jamaica

they'd have to use private homes and schools. Ganja lock ups are nothing but racism in America.

[Bennyboy]

16. But THIS must be stopped!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=mVqzhKtsH5c

[malaise]

20. That's on a Marley tour

Hahahahahaha - too good. :rofl. Doctor, lawyer, pastor, policeman, tief smoke herb - there is no way this culture will be wiped out. Some people ever smoke but it's no biggie in Jamaica. Their grannies take a teaspoon of tonic in the morning - ganja soaked in white rum.

Still the tour guide is an idiot -way too artificial.

[Bennyboy]

26. Cracks me up everytime!!!

THis is my favorite part of the tour.....hA HA HAHA !

[Lance_Boyle]

27. racism? really?

Are there any figures to support that conclusion, WRT marijuana arrests specifically?

[High Plains]

31. Yes, as a matter of fact there are. Look here:

http://soc.qc.cuny.edu/Staff/levine/Marijuana-Arrests/marijuana-arrest-epidemic-in-NYC.htm

That's just for NYC, but Levine is busily looking at pot arrests in the top 200 urban counties and is finding similar things.

Basically if you are young, black, or brown, you are in danger. Otherwise, not so much.

[Lance_Boyle]

33. Data for NYC seem to trend that way,

although the data also show that 91% of those arrested are male. Is the war on pot sexist, too? I didn't read enough into the linked article yet (and thanks for that - it's not often anybody on DU responds to requests for data!) to see, but I'd bet a high percentage are under 40, as well. Does that mean the war on pot is ageist?

[Swamp Rat]

18. Throw seeds everywhere, even if you do not smoke.

It's a wonderful plant. :)

[Quantess]

19. Misplaced priorities.

Cracking down on marijuana does nothing to benefit society. If they focused on meth, that would be fine by me, because meth addicts get into identity theft, and fraud, and other crimes, while destroying their health. Marijuana, OTOH, is pretty benign.

[Flatline]

21. Manufacture?

How do you manufacture what is grown?

[OneBlueSky]

22. their reasoning seems to be that all pot smokers are lefties . . .

so the more they can enforce draconian pot laws, the fewer lefties there will be to gum up their drive toward total control . . . if you think this over-enforcement of ridiculous pot laws is anything but political, think again . . .

[Lance_Boyle]

28. it's far more economic than political

Marijuana use tracks pretty close to even between those who consider themselves "liberals" and those who consider themselves "conservative." Almost identically between "liberals" and "libertarians." The crackdown makes big money for police and prisons.

[Ganja Ninja]

23. Your math is off by a decimal point.

829,627 X $10,000 = $8,296,270,000 but still an insane amount of money especially when you consider what it would mean to the economy if it were legalized, sold and taxed.

[Bennyboy]

25. I hate math.

An insane amount of money. And all they do is cut the programs that would help people.

[madokie]

24. as long as the money is there it will continue

personally I don't think anyone should be arrested for drug use at all.

[berni_mccoy]

29. $10,000 per bust?! That seems a little high (no pun intended).

The processing time for an individual is probably about 1/2 day... $10,000 would seem way too high to cover the time for all those involved. It's probably closer to $1000.

[Bennyboy]

32. Not what I am going for...

The costs include: the police time. Te court time. The public defender,the prosecutor, the judge, the court reporter, the baliff, the cost of electricirty, security etc. Then the jail tme. then probation/parole. The building to house the prob officers, the lights everything. The total cost, all the way down the line.

The lsee people in the system the less the system gets used, the lower the costs are.

This does not include the loss of work time and public assistance that prisoner's families tend to go one when one income is removed from the home.

[Uncle Joe]

30. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Bennyboy.

[Ezlivin]

34. Too many "legitimate" businesses making money off the WOD for it to ever end

Look at the rise of drug testing companies. They make lots of money testing students and employees for illegal drug use. They do not want to go out of business.

Of course the Federal bureaucracy is the biggest culprit; there are way too many people making money to ever want to quit and let others make money off the legalization of marijuana.

It's a huge informal lobby. Too many people get their paychecks from the WOD to want it to end, regardless of how it would benefit the country and its beleaguered citizens.

[formercia]

35. Make a law, make a business. n/t

[duhneece]

36. The pharmaceutical industry wouldn't like to see it legal

A physician friend told me he'd rather prescribe pot than prozac. Marijuana could be prescribed instead of medicines with more side-effects and more profit. Big business wouldn't like that, though.

[slay]

37. What a HUGE waste of time and money. Targeting people who choose pot over alcohol

Our government should be ashamed. Our whole country should be ashamed. The "war on drugs", including the war on pot, has ruined lives and wrecked families and for what? Smoking a weed that MILLIONS smoke on a regular basis? It's time to give up the lie and LEGALIZE IT. I thought this was supposed to be a country by the people and for the people. :( And yet Rush Limbaugh gets off scott free for having TONS of illegal oxycontin - which is pretty much the equivalent of heroin - just because he is rich and famous. Unfuckingreal. :(