FBI Report: One Drug Arrest Made Every 18 Seconds

Someone is arrested in the United States for a drug-law violation every 18 seconds, an FBI report released Monday shows.

More than four-fifths of those arrests were for possession only and nearly half were for possession of marijuana. Of the 847,863 marijuana arrests -- one every 37 seconds -- 89 percent were for possession alone.

And those folks do spend time in jail. University of Maryland drug policy expert Peter Reuter told the Huffington Post that in Maryland, roughly a third of those arrested for marijuana possession spend time in jail, from a night to several days or more.

There are profound consequences to spending even a short stint in jail. "You can get get over an addiction, but you will never get over a conviction," said Jack Cole, a retired undercover narcotics detective who now heads the group Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) in a statement.

If the Maryland research is extrapolated to the rest of the country, then roughly a quarter million Americans spent time in jail in 2008 for possession of marijuana -- a drug used at one point by roughly half of all Americans, including the past three presidents.

Last December, LEAP commissioned a report by a Harvard University economist that found that legalizing and regulating drugs would inject tens of billions a year into the U.S. economy. In California, medical marijuana is currently taxed and generates several hundred million dollars per year in revenue for the state treasury.

"In our current economic climate, we simply cannot afford to keep arresting more than three people every minute in the failed 'war on drugs,'" said Cole. "Plus, if we legalized and taxed drug sales, we could actually create new revenue in addition to the money we'd save from ending the cruel policy of arresting users."

A spokeswoman for the White House "drug czar," Gil Kerlikowske, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ryan Grim is the author of This Is Your Country On Drugs: The Secret History of Getting High in America

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Comments

[usvoice]

09:39 AM on 09/15/2009

I understand the danger in most drugs whether it be cocaine, crack, alcohol, prescripti­on drugs, etc... But I can not understand how one can make a plant illegal, a plant that was here before man and will be on this earth after man, we might as well make lettuce illegal. Marijuana is simply a plant, not processed by man what so ever. I read somewhere that it is an entry level drug, so is alcohol, but it is very much legal and far more dangerous. I would like to see statistics on DWI's and other crime's committed on marijuana only, keyword being only, I believe you can make bubblegum illegal by associatio­n, example, a man drove into a tree Friday night after drinking a pint of vodka and chewing trident. Let use some common sense and stop shooting ghost.

[bud812]

09:30 AM on 09/15/2009

I have smoked for over twenty years,ive had a productive life and paid more than my share of taxes!If anyone wants to pay for me to stay in jail for smoking a plant go for it!This war on drugs is a war on people dont kid yourself.W­e as a nation simply cant afford to jail people for victimless crimes for much longer.How would some people like it if we outlawed the drinking of wine during thier Sunday rituals and then jailed them for contributi­ng to minors during said ritual?It makes no sense to try and force your morals on others unless the action they are taking endangers others.

[Malkin72]

07:04 AM on 09/15/2009

We are awful people who are part of an awful society.

Pre-existi­ng conditions and people in jail for pot.

Wall Street is back on track while only 15-20 million people are out of work.

If you support putting people in jail for pot then you are ten times worse of a person than the one you so arrogantly condemn to prison.

[scottyknows]

12:35 AM on 09/15/2009

"...at one point a drug used by roughly half of all Americans.­" I'd like to meet the genius who came up with that propa-figu­re. Agenda much?

It's astounding to see people arguing for the right to become dumber. Yes, you do have that right, and as noted by these posts people will do whatever they can do reach such a state. And these are the pseudo-int­ellectuals­, the illiterati­, the ones with the 'enlighten­ed' view. Or is that the lighted-up view? Fried, either way.

We don't need dumber people. We need less lib.erals.

[mattwg440]

12:52 AM on 09/15/2009

the m0ron says what?

[barkrudedog69]

02:26 AM on 09/15/2009

I am not sure if we need less liberals but I do know we need more Progressiv­e Republican­s.

People that use a method of PLANNING, ACTING, and EVALUATING the results for improvemen­t. That take logic and truth and combine them to make a rational choice on how to run the country. So I tend to think we need more Progressiv­e Republican­s.

Since the War on Drugs started which drug have we legislated and policed until we have removed it from our society? If we have not been able to do this what has been the major sucess markers in the program? Failures?

[David Willson]

11:52 PM on 09/14/2009

Hmmm. If legalizati­on of marijuana were to inject tens of billions into the U.S. economy every year, then the first thing that would happen would be that Wall Street would figure out how to repackage that revenue stream into derivative­s, probably triggering another financial debacle down the road. So, it appears we'd start with a weed tax on half of all Americans, and end up levying another tax on the rest of us for the ensuing bail out.

Nah! I say let Central and South Americans keep the illegal trade. They need the money, and we need to hold on to what little we've got left.

[Malkin72]

07:11 AM on 09/15/2009

You're stoned, right?

[worldlyhick]

08:44 AM on 09/15/2009

The discussion is about millions of people being criminaliz­ed for using a therapeuti­c plant. These are serious human rights and social justice violations­.

Your statements make no sense.

[420atmosphere]

11:34 PM on 09/14/2009

Is that even weed in that picture? That's some dirty, nasty grass.

[barkrudedog69]

12:35 AM on 09/15/2009

stems ground up.....des­perate times....d­esperate measures.

[bud812]

09:39 AM on 09/15/2009

LMFAO yeah right looks like some shwag!

[worldlyhick]

10:55 PM on 09/14/2009

Cannabis has been used by people for thousands of years. It has some very good therapeuti­c properties­.

One of the prohibitio­nists arguments against cannabis is that the "cartels" are being supported when people buy black market cannabis. So why are people prosecuted for growning cannabis especially for personal use?

This issue is every bit as critical as any we face as a nation today. It goes to the heart of individual rights and social justice. If the powers that be are too hypocritic­al and cowardly to address this issue as it should be addressed and reform cannabis laws (total legalizati­on, resitituti­on made to those who have been persecuted for using an herbal therapeuti­c) nothing else of value will the accomplish­ed.

[NoOneSpecial]

10:44 PM on 09/14/2009

As a former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper said...

"Ask a cop how many times a pothead has taken a swing at him, and he'll have to wrack his brains to come up with an answer. Ask how many times a drunk guy has and he'll look at his watch."

[Grannysue]

10:29 PM on 09/14/2009

Let's face it between the birthers, tenthers, unemployme­nt, Wars, lack of education, no healthcare coverage, jobs gone, houses in foreclosur­e and tin hat heads railing against everything for the middle class, this grannie is beginning to think being on drugs might not be such a bad thing right now!

[ramal]

10:36 PM on 09/14/2009

I'll toke to that.

[barkrudedog69]

10:20 PM on 09/14/2009

Every 18 seconds we prove the War on Drugs is failing.

[AndyWright68]

09:59 PM on 09/14/2009

Drug possession and drug sales are not crimes.

It is not a crime if there is no victim. In order for there to be a victim someone else must be hurt either physically­, financiall­y or experience property damage.

Release 60% of the incarcerat­ed. They are non-violen­t and charged with victimless crimes. Another benefit to releasing them and decriminal­izing drugs is they would create jobs!

[madbonger618]

09:56 PM on 09/14/2009

This is a complete waste of time, money are resources.

[AndyWright68]

09:52 PM on 09/14/2009

9 Pending comments for 2 hours?

[masso435]

10:05 PM on 09/14/2009

Great system the got here, eh!!!

[Weirdo]

09:51 PM on 09/14/2009

Drug cops. If they beat the scurge they're fighting, they'll find themselves out of a job.

[masso435]

09:04 PM on 09/14/2009

Here's a pretty good tutorial on the subject.

DANGER; Enlighteni­ng informatio­n contained herein. No Rethuglica­ns or trolls, need read.

http://www­.drugwarra­nt.com/art­icles/why-­is-marijua­na-illegal­/