How about giving immunity to the pot smokers?

[lame54]

http://skeptically.org/recdrugs/id8.html

We could clear out the cells and make room for the real criminals.

Since 1992, approximately six million Americans have been arrested on marijuana charges, a greater number than the entire populations of Alaska, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming combined. Annual marijuana arrests have more than doubled in that time.

"It's time we stopped arresting adults who use marijuana responsibly," says Stroup.

YEAR MARIJUANA ARRESTS

2001 723,627
2000 734,498
1999 704,812
1998 682,885
1997 695,200
1996 641,642
1995 588,963
1994 499,122
1993 380,689
1992 342,314

"Prisoners sentenced for drug offenses constituted the largest group of Federal inmates (55%) in 2001, down from 60% in 1995 (table 18). On September 30, 2001, the date of the latest available data in the Federal Justice Statistics Program, Federal prisons held 78,501 sentenced drug offenders, compared to 52,782 in 1995."
http://www.talkleft.com/story/2007/9/24/153752/631
Marijuana Arrests at All-Time High

By Jeralyn, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 02:37:52 PM EST

A pot-smoker is arrested every 38 seconds in America. The newest figures for 2006 show marijuana arrests are at an all-time high. Via NORML:

Police arrested a record 829,625 persons for marijuana violations in 2006, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's annual Uniform Crime Report, released today. This is the largest total number of annual arrests for pot ever recorded by the FBI. Marijuana arrests now comprise nearly 44 percent of all drug arrests in the United States.

89% of those arrested in 2006 were charged only with possession. And, get this:

The total number of marijuana arrests in the U.S. for 2006 far exceeded the total number of arrests in the U.S. for all violent crimes combined, including murder, manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

In the past 15 years, marijuana arrests have increased by 188%. As NORML says,

"This effort is a tremendous waste of criminal justice resources that diverts law enforcement personnel away from focusing on serious and violent crime, including the war on terrorism."

[IntravenousDemilo]

1. So what have been the figures during the * administration? These figs are from 7 years ago or more.

[dems_rightnow]

3. Thru 2005

2005 786,545
2004 771,608
2003 755,187
2002 697,082

[lame54]

4. Updated - Thanks

[Trillo]

2. Every insider wins.

The more pot smokers there are, the more jails must be built: The more illegal marijuana is, the higher pot prices must climb. Every insider wins.

[OwnedByFerrets]

5. We cant do that.....

it would be breaking the Constitut........oh wait......thats the FISA bill. Nevermind.


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