From MPP, today:

Marijuana Arrests Set All-Time Record

September 15, 2008

Arrests for Marijuana Possession Exceed All Violent Crimes Combined
(Washington, D.C.)

Continuing the recent trend, marijuana arrests set another all-time record in 2007, totaling 872,720. Arrests for marijuana possession totaled 775,138, greatly exceeding arrests for all violent crimes combined, which totaled 597,447.

The number greatly exceeds the 829,627 marijuana arrests in 2006, which itself was an all-time record.

Arrests for illicit drugs other than marijuana declined in 2007 by over 84,000 compared to 2006.

“Most Americans have no idea of the massive effort going into a war on marijuana users that has completely failed to curb marijuana use,” said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C. “Just this summer a new World Health Organization study of 17 countries found that we have the highest rate of marijuana use, despite some of the strictest marijuana laws and hyper-aggressive enforcement.

“With government at all levels awash in debt, this is an insane waste of resources. If we regulated and taxed marijuana as we do beer, wine, and cigarettes, we could save tens of billions of dollars, better control marijuana’s production and distribution, and cut off a huge source of funding to criminal gangs.”

Bizarrely, at his recent press conference announcing new drug use survey data, White House drug czar John Walters stated, “We didn’t arrest 800,000 marijuana users,” and called that figure, when raised by MPP’s Aaron Houston and Dan Bernath, a “lie.”

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I honestly believe that these cowards are afraid of the way marijuana makes a person think. Just the way you look at something when you're high is different than when sober. It opens your mind to a greater thought process. Look at the roots of today's grouped movements. "STONERS!"

Well of course he called it a lie. After all, most people still foolishly believe that law enforcement is on their side and that government cannot lie to them because that would be "immoral" or "unlawful"....

Later,
4kaan4

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I am an incorrigible, pathological fantasizer fabricating illusionary amusements for various individuals. In other words I lie like a politician. I refuse to break the law because I intend to live my life till the day I die!

I hope someday we will look back at the marijuana incarcerations the way we look back at the "burning times" although there is a real element of control, most of it will look like irrational fear and superstition.."witches" were burned, or hung, or dunked for property and control....but mostly fear and irrationality made this possible....my very dear friend lost his livelyhood, home, and status, all for growing some plants...part of me grows just because....heck they can't stop all of us.

Empty the jails like they emptied the "madhouses" durring the french revolution

Liberty Equality Fraternaty!

Makes me want to plant a few beans in the capitol garden.

Uh huh... And Area-51 never existed too.

in deed kaan, that is point. The public isn't aware of the fact who is hit by these laws and by what gigantic numbers people get locked up for literally a lil pot. If people would become aware of the extent in which these laws race a war against them, the citizens, they would force its abolishment. and to prevent this they have to be kept dumb and silent - so it is suddenly a lie that they arrested almost a million US citizen for just pot!

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Keep the gun oiled and the thumb green!

only makes sense to distribute what a mass amount of people want!

the country is ina recession for cryin out loud. do somethin!

When Hitler was taking the Jewish people from their homes and throwing them into concentration camps no one argued or resisted or even protested. Because Hitler didn't come after them... yet. It is no different in our case with marijuana. As long as they are only after the "potheads" who cares. Round 'em all up and throw away the key.

Attacking ones freedom is a direct assault on humanity. Perhaps today we are a little more civilized because we don't gas and burn those we disagree with, but the mentality is the same. It's all about control. If you step outside the bounds of "Normalcy" then you should be ostracized from society. First we will throw you in jail a few times in hope you will grow weary and resign control. We all do this... we follow the path of least resistance and once we've had our hand slapped a few times we decide to comply rather than suffer any more ill.

Do you really think that more people are smoking marijuana and less people are using meth? That would be the case if the police were simply doing their job and arresting people as they find them breaking the law. However, I find it hard to believe because meth is not imported for the most part. It is manufactured mostly within our borders. The same is true with marijuana; most of it is grown right here in the states. So you can't blame the reduction of meth arrests on lack of supply, which would be the case if most meth was imported and the government was doing a good job at the borders keeping it out.

The truth is simply this... the police are targeting marijuana users. It's an agenda. Everyone knows that marijuana isn't harmful. The police know it, the politicians know it, you and I know it. So, it couldn't be their noble sense of duty to protect us from ourselves.

It's all about control... never forget that. It is what gives them their purpose... or sense of duty. Most of these people actually think they are doing their civic duty by arresting these "derelicts" of society. They take an oath to uphold the constitution of the United States and most of them have never read it. And if they have read it.... they don't understand what it says.

Recently here in Eugene, Oregon the police raided a campus dorm because they had a report of loud music. They kicked in doors and arrested people for pot and underage drinking... but only after they kicked the doors in. They had nothing but an anonymous call complaining about noise and they kicked doors in without a search warrant. They kicked the doors in because the students didn't answer the knock on the door. I didn't know not answering your door was probable cause for a forcible entry and search. These students constitutional rights were trampled on pretty badly and no one even cares.

Same 'ol, same 'ol. This type of behavior sure does seem familiar. Hitler would applaud their efforts.

HR, I agree with you, except that almost 90% of the meth coming into the PNW comes out of Mexico and is smuggled up. Big problem drug in this area, now, is heroin. Apparently they are bringing that in too and selling cheap. Meth and Heroin should be illegal IMO, however the cure is treatment, not jail.

Once the prohibition on MJ ends, hopefully that Mexican connection for the other drugs will collapse along with a few prisons that are no longer needed..

ISO

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I personally believe in telling the truth, education and the strength of human judgement.we have capability of distinguishing what is good and what is bad for us once we have an access to true and genuine information.I don't think that anybody,and the government the least, should be telling people what to do and what is good for them.people should choose for themselves.that's the part of responsibility for life they bear on their shoulders. Cogito ergo sum said Descartes.This is what makes us human.We are capable of making moral judgements.The problem is a lot of people forget about their responsibility, they want an easy pass.They want somebody to take the burden of making decisions from their shoulders believing it will make their life easier and solve all the problems. People want to escape from their freedom wrote E.Fromm (Escape from Freedom).The government jumps on that opportunity with joy as there are always people who think they know better what is good for others. J.Locke wrote that the state is formed by mutual agreement among people that they will scarify parts of their personal freedoms to secure their safety and well being. The fear for life is actualy what gives the power to government.But power most often corrupts moraly and the governments build elaborate means of control taking more an more of that freedoms from people in the name of maing their life safer and better.
We can't expect we'll get genuine information from government about MJ.People who smoke are put as an example of the enemy of the state,of safety and freedom of others. We're something that is used to scare so called good citizens. The more governments lie about reality the more we have a moral duty to seek the truth on our own and educate others so they could make their own judgement. Tell pepole about positive sides of using but also about negative sides of abusing MJ. let them know,let them judge it on their own.but most importently tell people to be brave and take the responsibility for their life in their hands and they'll be rewarded with fullfilment and satisfaction.they'll have maybe not easier but surely much better life.
all the best.