NORML Ranks California First in Marijuana Arrests

[IndianaToker]

By Chris Durant, The Times-Standard
Source: Times-Standard

Eureka, Calif. -- The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws released a report this week that named California as the state with the most marijuana arrests, Humboldt as the county with the third-highest rate of arrests per capita statewide and teenagers as the age group arrested on marijuana charges the most. Quoting statistics from 1995 to 2002, the NORML report states there were 60,111 marijuana arrests in California. But marijuana arrests per 100,000 people have the state ranked at 41, with a rate of 171.18.

There were 12,123 marijuana sales arrests.

The counties with the highest number of marijuana arrests per 100,000 people were Alpine, with a rate of 2,955.27; Sierra, with a rate of 759.84; Humboldt, with a rate of 442.19; Plumas, with a rate of 440.04; and Trinity, with a rate of 437.04.

The NORML statistics also show that California is ranked first among states in the amount of marijuana plants eradicated during this time, with 1,181,957.

About 34 percent of all arrests of California boys and men between 15 and 19 in 2002 were for marijuana possession. Girls and women ranging in age from 15 to 19 were the most arrested for marijuana possession among females. Eighteen-year-olds were arrested more than any other age for marijuana possession on 2002.

Teens between 15 and 19 were also the most arrested in 2002 for marijuana sales violations.

"Over 1 million U.S. teenagers sell marijuana," stated a NORML press release. "The enforcement of state and local marijuana laws has neither reduced adolescent demand for marijuana, nor has it reduced the number of teens supplying marijuana to other adolescents on the black market."

The number of marijuana arrests for local counties between 1998 and 2002 are:

Humboldt County: 1998, 379; 1999, 337; 2000, 448; 2001, 457; 2002, 580.

Del Norte: 1998, 57; 1999, 44; 2000, 62; 2001, 44; 2002, 54.

Mendocino: 1998, 322; 1999, 296; 2000, 358; 2001, 359; 2002, 263.

Trinity: 1998, 55; 1999, 67; 2000, 72; 2001, 50; 2002, 59.

NORML's Comprehensive Analysis Of US Marijuana Arrest: http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6476

Source: Times-Standard (CA)
Author: Chris Durant, The Times-Standard
Published: Monday, March 21, 2005
Copyright: 2005 MediaNews Group, Inc.
Contact: editor@times-standard.com
Website: http://www.times-standard.com/
Link to article: http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread20386.shtml