MARIJUANA ARRESTS WASTE RESOURCES

According to "Crime in America: FBI Uniform Crime Reports 2008"
(Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, 2008), there were a total of
14,005,615 arrests that year. Of those arrests, 847,863 were for marijuana
(6.05 percent) and 754,224 were for simple possession of marijuana (5.39
percent).

However, there were only 594,911 arrests for violent crimes (4.25
percent). We arrested more people for simple possession of marijuana
than we did for violent crimes!

The state of Tennessee and the city of Chattanooga have already
experienced senseless rapes, random shootings and unsolved murders, as
well as gang-related incidents. What's the logic in devoting law
enforcement resources to arrest our citizens for simple possession of
a substance that's safer than alcohol or tobacco than to stop violent
crime and gang-related activity?

Wouldn't it make more sense to free up prison space for murderers and
rapists and help unclog the courts and justice system to prosecute
dangerous criminals? It's time to realize we must learn from history
and realize prohibition doesn't work and it's a failed policy.

With our state facing a looming budget deficit and decreased revenues,
wouldn't it make more sense to spend precious law enforcement
resources in protecting our citizens from real, violent criminals?

MARTHA GREGORY

Hixson