Marijuana Arrests at All-Time High

By Jeralyn, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 02:37:52 PM EST
Tags: marijuana, pot (all tags)

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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."

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Marijuana Arrests at All-Time High | 36 comments (36 topical)

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Just how does the average joe (none / 0) (#1)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 03:02:33 PM EST

get popped for posession?

I haven't been able to find any hard numbers, but my gut feeling is that Joe Average is busted for possession when MJ is found during a traffic stop or something.

Which, if so, would seem to make this NORML claim a falsehood:

Huh? (none / 0) (#2)
by kovie on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 03:13:06 PM EST

First, you'll need to come up with something more convincing than "gut feeling" to back this up. And second, how is a routine traffic stop legitimately going to lead to a possession charge unless the driver is stupid enough to have their stash right there on the dashboard or seat, or the cop is pushing ethical and legal lines by engaging in unreasonable search and seizure during a traffic stop which wouldn't warrant it, except in clear cases of DUI or erratic driver behavior?


Oy. (none / 0) (#4)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 03:19:27 PM EST

Just how does the average joe get popped for posession?

Do you have an answer?

Do you have any hard numbers that you can share with us?


So my not having numbers (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by kovie on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 03:32:58 PM EST

proves that your conjecture is correct? This is what passes for logic for you? Find some hard numbers instead of demanding that others come up with theirs to prove you wrong. This is classic wingnut illogic and it does not belong here, implying that the lack of a solid counterproof somehow proves an assertion. It does not. I contend that Bush works for Bin Laden--can you prove me wrong? If not, then that proves me right, no?


What in god's name is wrong with you? (none / 0) (#10)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 03:43:57 PM EST

Blah blah blah (none / 0) (#17)
by kovie on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 04:36:50 PM EST

Would-be subtle BS is still BS. Put up some numbers and stop pretending that speculation amounts to proof. You think we're morons here?

The moon is made of green cheese. I have no proof of this, but if I did, it would make any claim that it wasn't made of green cheese a falsehood.

You are OBVIOUSLY trying to argue a point without proving any shred of evidence to back it up, substituting speculation and false logic for actual proof, and hoping that no one notices.

Well, someone's noticed. If that's "wrong", then color me guilty.


My gut feeling, (none / 0) (#19)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 05:14:51 PM EST

says that kids who don't graduate from HS are more likely to not get good jobs.

My gut feeling says that women are less likely to place HS football than men.

My gut feeling says that most of the posters on TL are libs.

Would you say those gut feelings are BS?

Good, because my gut feeling on MJ possession arrests isn't either:

Nearly all marijuana possession arrests are "crimes of observation" meaning that an officer has contact with the offender, observes the possession of marijuana, and makes the arrest. In many cases, the marijuana observation is made after the officer has contact with the individual for another incident. (DUI, Domestic Violence, Disorderly Conduct, etc.)

[Bengals cornerback Johnathan] Joseph was arrested on U.S. Route 42 in northern Kentucky. He lives nearby in Union, Ky. The Boone County sheriff's arrest report said Joseph was the passenger in a vehicle driven by a woman who had a suspended license, was driving slowly and weaving.

[USC recruit O.J.] Mayo was among four males cited on misdemeanor marijuana possession charges in Huntington, West Virginia, late last night.
Cabell County Sheriff's Deputy Doug Adams says officers serving a search warrant at a house pulled over a Cadillac they deemed suspicious and Mayo was a passenger.

The Indiana Pacers saw another player land in legal trouble on Tuesday with the arrest of forward Shawne booked into the Marion County Jail early Tuesday on initial charges of possession of marijuana, driving without a license, driving with an expired license plate and failure to signal a lane change, police said

Al Gore III was driving about 100 mph on the San Diego Freeway when he was pulled over and deputies found a small amount of marijuana

Thanks for the Info Sarc (5.00 / 1) (#29)
by john horse on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 09:30:51 PM EST

re: Nearly all marijuana possession arrests are "crimes of observation"

Thanks for the info Sarc. Until now I had thought that most marijuana arrests were based on the officer's "gut feeling".


Oops, forgot the beginning part of the article... (none / 0) (#26)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 07:15:39 PM EST

CINCINNATI -- Bengals cornerback Johnathan Joseph was arrested early Monday and charged with possession of marijuana, the ninth Cincinnati player arrested in the last nine months.
Joseph was arrested on U.S. Route 42 in northern Kentucky. He lives nearby in Union, Ky. The Boone County sheriff's arrest report said Joseph was the passenger in a vehicle driven by a woman who had a suspended license, was driving slowly and weaving.

Made you work at it, did I? (none / 0) (#32)
by kovie on Tue Sep 25, 2007 at 01:30:01 AM EST

Which was the point, of course. I did not dispute your point, but rather your not having evidence to back it up and instead going on "gut". Which is fine if you're just speculating, but not so fine if you're asserting, which you did.

And I still suspect that the moon is made of green cheese. I'm just not willing to assert it. We libs tend to live in a reality-based world, ya know. And I can back that up with, um, actual evidence if you like. Heh.


With each post (none / 0) (#35)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue Sep 25, 2007 at 11:59:53 AM EST

you embarass yourself more and more.


: Which, of course, anyone who believes (none / 0) (#37)
by kovie on Tue Sep 25, 2007 at 06:02:18 PM EST

in the need for supporting facts and logic would. Thanks for reminding me of that!

This average joe..... (none / 0) (#6)
by kdog on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 03:30:20 PM EST

has been popped in the parking lot during a concert, and the picnic area at Belmont Park. Luckily, my traffic stops never got to the point of "empty your pockets".

I'd say your gut is just about right....busts happen when smokers interact with cops and it gets to the point where they search you (or you're caught in the act, obviously). Be it a traffic stop or walking down the street "looking suspicous".

I wouldn't call NORML's statement a falsehood though. Every senseless marijuana arrest costs money that could be allocated to more worthy law-enforcement endeavors. Though the police might not be actively searching to bust people like me, people like me get busted all the time. It costs time and money.


police time (none / 0) (#7)
by paularmentano on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 03:30:45 PM EST

How many hours of police/criminal justice time is spent every time a cop makes a pot bust? There's the arrest, processing, paperwork, etc. Now multiply those man-hours by 800,000. You don't think that's a waste of criminal justice resources? In NY cops routinely charged folks with midemeanor pot possession at the end of their shift just to collect the overtime doing the paperwork. It's called "collar for dollars." Wake up!


Citations v arrests (none / 0) (#13)
by Ben Masel on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 03:56:03 PM EST

Does the 800,000 include non-criminal citations in addition to criminal possession charges?

Early this year, our DA announced his office would be processing all simple possessions under local ordinances, rather than the misdemeanor. With a lower standard of proof, no right to a jury trial, amd no secondary punishment vi loss of drivers license, student loans, etc, they're getting pleas, cutting costs to the Police Departments as well as the prosecution.


kdog and paul (none / 0) (#14)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 03:56:29 PM EST

my point was mainly with the thought that local cops, and the resources that fund them, are not really diverted from preventing:

serious and violent crime, including the war on terrorism."

if they find a couple joints on you during a traffic stop or what have you. iow, whether the joints were there or not, they'd still be spending the time on the traffic stop.

That said, I now believe normal was mainly talking about the 7+ billion spent specifically on apprehending dealers/importers/growers etc., and not on busting average joes, so my point about diverting resources to average joe possession busts was, well, a bust of a comment in and of itself...


Well of course (none / 0) (#28)
by Patrick on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 08:57:32 PM EST

you are right, but no one's going to admit that here. I'll just sit back and wait for the "You'd be out of a job if.." crowd now...


: Admit what? (none / 0) (#30)
by glanton on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 09:47:10 PM EST

Ok (none / 0) (#22)
by scarshapedstar on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 06:13:48 PM EST

My gut feeling tells me that the cost of trying all these nonviolent offenders and imprisoning them is greater than zero.

Therefore, NORML is quite correct. We spend tens of billions of dollars every year prohibiting a harmless plant and we complain that scanning incoming cargo at our ports would cost millions. We pull health care from poor kids. We send our troops on suicide missions in unarmored humvees. All in the name of a prison-industrial racket born out of almost comical racism.

Whenever I hear of billions of dollars wasted, I like to think of the uproar that would result from an equivalently priced number of supercarriers being "lost at sea" or stolen or what have you. Somehow, if it happens under the table, it's all abstract.


We call it breathing on a police officer. (none / 0) (#25)
by JSN on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 07:12:51 PM EST

They smoke the pot they get stopped for a traffic violation and the cop smells the pot and starts looking for evidence. They find the evidence and arrest the subject. Not all cops arrest people for that some throw the evidence away.

On occasion when a person is booked into jail on an unrelated charge they will find pot when they search them and that results in an additional charge. The story about marijuana seeds stuck to the subjects socks is an urban myth.

It is really annoying to have people booked into jail who are not a threat to themselves or anyone else because the county attorney is afraid of looking soft on crime. Our jail bonds them out as fast as they can unfortunately not all of them can afford to bond out.


also from norml (none / 0) (#3)
by Jlvngstn on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 03:16:25 PM EST

The enforcement of state and local marijuana laws annually costs US taxpayers an estimated $7.6 billion, approximately $10,400 per arrest. Of this total, annual police costs are $3.7 billion, judicial/legal costs are $853 million, and correctional costs are $3.1 billion. In both California and New York, state fiscal costs dedicated to marijuana law enforcement annually total over $1 billion.

10k per. Where are all the fiscal conservatives? Probably toking up while writing the laws.

Does NORML give any source for those numbers? (none / 0) (#5)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 03:21:46 PM EST

: The report is available (none / 0) (#12)
by Edger on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 03:50:32 PM EST

from the NORML website
NORML Releases Most Comprehensive Analysis Of US Marijuana Arrest Data To Date:
Section 2. Marijuana Arrests and National Trends
List of Tables and Figures

OK, I admit I did some misreading. (none / 0) (#9)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 03:42:33 PM EST

Although J's quotes of norml's comment about criminal justice resources directly follows her quote of their "89% of all busts are for possession" comment, upon re-reading it is clear the "CJ resource comment" was not related only to possession busts but rather for all CJ drug-enforcement activities.

Assuming there are little to no CJ resources specifically aimed at busting Joe Average for carrying a couple joints, and the money is being sent on busting growers, importers, dealers, etc., their CJ resources comment rings true.

Also, Jl, if so, I think the numbers, on a per-bust basis, are much worse.

89% of the busts were for possession, meaning 11% were dealing/growing/etc. - 11% of 830k arrests = 92k arrests.

Assuming little of that 7.6 billion is directly spent on apprehending and busting the kdogs of the world for possessing a couple joints, then that leaves 7.6 bill/92k arrests, or $83k/arrest...

It costs the same to take my prints.... (none / 0) (#11)
by kdog on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 03:49:20 PM EST

as it does to take a murderer's prints. Costs the same to feed us both a PB&J sandwich when in custody. IOW, certain costs are fixed no matter the charge.

...not sure how that relates to my comment? (none / 0) (#15)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 03:58:32 PM EST

Part of that 7.6 billion.... (none / 0) (#18)
by kdog on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 04:49:37 PM EST

is spent on the processing of the arrests for mere possesion, which appear to far outweigh the arrests for sale.

So though my local police department might not be spending money specifically to catch me, they are spending money specifically to process me.

IOW, the arrest itself is only part of the cost. Then you have to process, which is where I would guess most of that 7.6 billion is being spent...on processing.


: OK, I get it now. (none / 0) (#20)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 05:16:49 PM EST

Anyone interested in the Jim Crow prison industry (none / 0) (#16)
by aahpat on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 04:06:16 PM EST

Anyone interested in the prison industrial complex and its empowerment of Jim Crow in America might like to visit my blog entry, "U.S. Congress Jim Crow Economics Hearing October 4, 2007" based on a story today in the Boston Globe titled "Life Sentence" enumerating the social inequities imposed by the prohibition economy and its Jim Crow prison industrial complex.

The Wisconsin County by County (none / 0) (#21)
by Ben Masel on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 06:05:44 PM EST

Walworth, with the highest rate per population, hosts the Alpine Valley Music Theater, sometimes seeing 400 citations on a double show weekend. Almost always $454 citations, no custodial arrest if you pay on the spot. Big revenue generator.

Menominee County's an Indian Reservation, extra Federal subsidy for drug arrests.

Columbia County the Sheriff's Dept. is just psycho.

The other top counties by rate are low population, with a long stretch of Interstate Highway.

(Walworth answers my question upthread. The totals include non-custodial non-criminal ordinance citations.)

Mo laws, mo bidness (none / 0) (#23)
by Yes2Truth on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 06:33:13 PM EST

Lawyers that specialize in Mary Jane cases do very well, thank you. Support those who just want to see justice done to all those citizens accused.

must be the dope... (none / 0) (#27)
by skippybkroo on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 07:38:57 PM EST

a pot-smoker is arrested every 38 seconds in america.

they only reason they can get away with that is the dope makes the guy forget he just got arrested 38 seconds ago...

Al Capone (none / 0) (#31)
by diogenes on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 10:07:05 PM EST

Al Capone got busted for tax evasion. Given the widespread gang threats against "snitches", even in small towns like mine, I'd bet that a lot of people arrested/convicted of possession are really dealers of pot/other drugs and/or known unpleasant, violent folks whose victims are too scared to testify against for other crimes. Possession is kind of open and shut.
Maybe we could run a rap sheet on 100 consecutive people convicted of possession, with annotations by local police about past arrest history or local reputation.
Around upstate NY, Sunday School teachers who possess pot have their cases dropped by the DA or adjourned in contemplation of dismissal whereas known violent folks have their cases pushed all the way.

Snitches, thugs and victims (none / 0) (#33)
by aahpat on Tue Sep 25, 2007 at 05:27:21 AM EST

The most recent arrest case I know of is a person who was robbed by a lover. When the robbery victim called police and the lover was arrested the lover, a real street thug with a mile long rap sheet, told police that the victim was a pot dealer. For weeks the police called and badgered the victim to buy pot for them. They even pretended, to be friends of the victim based on intelligence they got from the thief about the circle of friends of the victim. Finally, thinking he was doing a friend a favor, the victim got some pot for the police who busted into the victim's home with a SWAT team.

They found very little pot. Police literally robbed a house guest reaching into his pocket, taking his pocket money and sticking it into the pocket of the AR-15 armed SWAT officer without any receipts or thank you.

This is typical of arrest patterns based on snitches.

Since then the police handling the robbery case of the thug robber have not showed up at the hearings which will set the robber free while the victim of the multiple robberies, once by the lover and a second robbery by the police, and who was never before arrested for anything, is still awaiting his day in court as a drug dealer.

This is very typical of drug arrests in the large cities of America.

One of the many elements that bother me about this case is the fact that the police and the district attorney, by prosecuting the robbery victim, are participating in the intimidation of a witness/victim in a robbery. And they are protecting the real thug and robber who is clearly abusing the system. But as long as the DA can rack up another drug conviction who cares who the victim really is.

This is America and its disgusting fascist farce of a criminal justice system. The rule of law was abandoned by this country decades ago when America adopted Richard Nixon's Jim Crow drug war. It will, I believe, take nothing less that an insurrection to restore it.

In Florida (none / 0) (#34)
by roger on Tue Sep 25, 2007 at 07:35:46 AM EST

the big thing is "knock and talk". The police get tips, or smell pot while knocking on doors. They then try to talk their way into the residence.

We get these cases almost daily

A presidential thought (none / 0) (#36)
by aahpat on Tue Sep 25, 2007 at 05:26:38 PM EST

Folks interested in both drug policy reform and the 2008 presidential campaign might like to hear this interview with Mike Gravel. It impressed me a lot and I have heard all the anti drug war candidates of the past dozen years talk about the issues. None as articulately or as cogently.

Anti Drug War U.S. Presidential Candidate Statement
"The war on drugs is the most ridiculous thing going on." 2008 presidential candidate Mike Gravel