NORML REPORTS MARIJUANA ARRESTS HIGHEST EVER LAST YEAR

According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana
Laws more people were arrested nationwide on marijuana charges last
year than ever before.

In 2005, 786,545 people were arrested on marijuana charges, about
15,000 more than 2004 and more than double than 1990.

"These numbers belie the myth that police do not target and arrest
minor marijuana offenders," said NORML Executive Director Allen St.
Pierre in a September NORML press release. "This effort is a
tremendous waste of criminal justice resources that diverts law
enforcement personnel away from focussing on serious and violent
crime, including the war on terrorism."

He said a marijuana smoker is arrested about every 40
seconds.

About 88 percent of the 786,545 arrested last year were charged with
possession, St. Pierre said.

According to NORML, marijuana arrests outnumbered the total arrests
for all violent crimes, including murder rape and robbery.

"Enforcing marijuana prohibition costs taxpayers between $10 billion
and $12 billion annually and has led to the arrests of 18 million
Americans," St. Pierre said. "Arresting hundreds of thousands of
American who smoke marijuana responsibly needlessly destroys the lives
of otherwise law abiding citizens."