Pubdate: Tue, 24 Nov 1998
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Copyright: 1998 Los Angeles Times.
Section: Los Angeles Times Letters
Contact:  http://www.latimes.com/
Fax: 213-237-4712
Author: ROBERT D. KAMPIA, Executive Director Marijuana Policy Project
Washington

Marijuana Arrests

As an update to Robert Scheer's Nov. 17 Column Left, "The Drug War Isn't
About Combating Use," it is worth noting that the FBI's new annual crime
report shows that 695,201 people were arrested for marijuana in the United
States in 1997--87% of these for simple possession. This means that more
Americans were arrested for marijuana in 1997 than in any other year in
U.S. history.  This is a tremendous waste of criminal justice resources.

Marijuana prohibition creates dangerous criminal markets and takes police
resources away from violent crime. It is time to stop arresting adults who
grow and consume their own marijuana at home. 

ROBERT D. KAMPIA, Executive Director Marijuana Policy Project Washington

Jim Rosenfield  tel: 310-836-0926 fax: 310-836-0592 Visit
http://www.insightweb.com 
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