GOVERNMENT SAVING US FROM "REEFER MADNESS"

Last year, police arrested an estimated 723,627 persons for marijuana violations. This figure has more than doubled from 1992's total of 342,314. In 2001, 88.6 percent of marijuana arrestees were charged with possession only, and the rest, filed under "sale/manufacture," include all cultivation offenses, even if only for personal or medical use. From the fact that marijuana arrests make up nearly half of all drugs arrests in the US, it is clear that the crackdown on the stuff that can actually kill you is nowhere near as harsh as it is for this relatively minor stimulant. "These numbers belie the myth that police do not target and arrest minor marijuana offenders," said Keith Stroup, Executive Director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws ( NORML ). "In fact, the war on drugs is largely a war on pot smokers.

This effort is a tremendous waste of criminal justice resources that should be dedicated toward combating serious and violent crime, including the war on terrorism."