More than 570,000 Americans arrested for marijuana possession in 2015 By JAKE ELLISON, SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF Published 9:55 am, Wednesday, September 28, 2016 The FBI has released the nation's arrest statistics for last year and once again hundreds of thousands of Americans have be stuffed in jails and given arrest records for simple possession of marijuana. This just can't stand. It's bad public policy and bad human policy. According to the FBI stats 1,488,707 people were arrested on drug charges, 38.6 percent of those were marijuana possession with 4.6 for sale and manufacturing. That's 43.2 percent of ALL drug arrests. That's 643,121 total arrests for a drug that hasn't directly killed a single person — 574,641 for simple possession. This in a country plagued by opioid deaths. According to the FBI, "Heroin or cocaine and their derivatives" accounted for only 25.4 percent of all drug arrests. (Not that addiction should be treated as a crime. Just making a comparison.) Second only to the "What about the children!" argument against legalization (follow link for clear scientific evidence that legalization has not hurt kids at all), is the argument that we don't need to change laws because almost nobody is spending time in jail for possession anyway. Tell that to Keith Lamont Scott, who got shot and killed in Charlotte, North Carolina. Whether he had a gun or not, resisted arrest or not, the whole terrible incident flared up over the smell of marijuana. Tell that to a young person who has spent a day or more in a county or city jail and then had to live with a life-long criminal record that could keep him/her from going to college or just getting a decent job. Tell that to the parents of kids who got yanked from the home because of a marijuana arrest. Tell it to the kids. Tell it to their friends and family. Remember, this is marijuana we're talking about. It's legal for me and you to have it in our homes and pockets and backpacks. But in most of the country, that little bit of green — legal here, Colorado, Oregon and Alaska and soon to be legal in California and probably four other states — is cause for a face-to-face with an arresting officer. RELATED: Feds make important admission about marijuana and kids This is an injustice that can only be remedied at the federal level. No matter how many states legalize, there will be those who just can't give up the habit of justifying police budgets with the easy pickings of pot busts. "While the numbers are thankfully dropping over time," said Tom Angell, Chairman of Marijuana Majority group, in a email. "it's alarming and simply unacceptable that someone is harassed by the police just for marijuana every 49 seconds in this country. Polls now consistently show that a growing majority of Americans supports full legalization, and it's about time more politicians and law enforcement caught up. Our movement is set to more than double the number of states with legalization this November, and we won't stop pushing until the day when no one is put into handcuffs or cages just because they choose to consume cannabis." Yes, we're in an election year so nothing is going to happen in D.C. Hell, our elected officials can't even get a judge on the Supreme Court or a budget passed for the nation. But, it IS an election year and legalization should be on your radar when it comes to picking a candidate for a seat in D.C. RELATED: Federal data: Marijuana legalization doesn't entice kids
That is correct. The DEA I'm sure is hoping it can place more people in prison so they can seize $$$, property, and the prison unions of course are watching as well as all the police departments who want the $$$$$$$$$$$!!!
There’s always money for war and to pay for bullshit like this. When it comes to actually solving things, our government can’t come up with money.
They're the ones that started bringing drugs into america, then arresting people who have the drugs. Hmfph somebody snipe me. Sent from my Pixel 3a using Grasscity Forum mobile app
Okay, Let me get this straight. My wife and I are a old hippie couple who over still love each other. We have never been to jail or been in trouble with the law. Our last speeding ticket was 30 years ago. So if we want to smoke a fatty in our own home we are breaking the law. P.S. I'm also a Veteran.