Marijuana Arrests: By the Numbers

Although the war on drugs is finally losing steam, it’s still chugging along. Here are some shocking statistics on how the war on drugs has affected marijuana users and the country at large.

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The war on drugs has been condemned by many, but the truth is that it’s still going on today. We all know that the number of arrests for small ‘crimes’ like possession are far higher than they should be, but what are the figures, exactly? Here are some shocking facts about the impact of the war on drugs.

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Marijuana Arrests: By the Numbers

By The Stoner's Cookbook

Although the war on drugs is finally losing steam, it's still chugging along. Here are some shocking statistics on how the war on drugs has affected marijuana users and the country at large.

High % of marijuana arrests vs. other drugs
By The Stoner's Cookbook
52% of all drug arrests in 2010 were for marijuana, most of which were of individuals with small amounts of marijuana for personal use.
Pot users don't discriminate
By The Stoner's Cookbook
Studies have shown that African Americans and Caucasians have about the same rate of marijuana use. As a matter of fact, Caucasians have historically used marijuana at a slightly higher rate.
Yet…
By The Stoner's Cookbook
Despite that statistic, African Americans are arrested 4x more than Caucasians for marijuana possession. These arrests leave a criminal record and can literally ruin lives.
$20,000,000,000
By The Stoner's Cookbook
The American government spends $20 billion a year on marijuana prohibition. The majority of this money goes towards jailing those with small amounts of marijuana rather than violent crimes.
With that money…
By The Stoner's Cookbook
With $20 billion, the government could: hire 363,000 teachers, 468,000 firefighters, 390,000 police officers, build 5,600 libraries or fix 859,000,000 potholes.