Why did police arrest 734,498 pot-smokers, instead of tracking murderous terrorists?

WASHINGTON, DC -- American law enforcement is guilty of something close to "criminal neglect" for arresting 734,498 people for marijuana violations last year -- instead of investigating and stopping murderous terrorists, the Libertarian Party said today.

"Thousands of innocent Americans may be dead because law enforcement considered it more important to raid college frat parties and arrest people for smoking marijuana than to find and stop the deadly terrorist 'sleeper' cells that were plotting the greatest mass murder in American history," said Steve Dasbach, the party's national director.

"You just have to wonder: If the tens of thousands of law enforcement officers, the millions of man-hours, and the billions of dollars that were spent monitoring, investigating, arresting, charging, processing, jailing, and bringing to trial non-violent marijuana users had been used, instead, for anti-terrorist activities -- could the September 11 atrocity have been prevented?"

That question has become especially crucial now that the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) has released new figures showing that marijuana arrests in 2000 hit an all-time record.

According to figures collected from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Report, police arrested an estimated 734,498 people for marijuana violations last year. That's up from the 704,812 Americans who were arrested in 1999 on marijuana-related charges.

Of the almost three-quarters of a million people arrested in 2000, approximately 88% -- or about 646,042 individuals -- were charged only with possession of marijuana.

The most chilling thing about those numbers, said Dasbach, is that every arrest for marijuana represents a "missed opportunity" for law enforcement.

"Local and state police, the FBI, and federal law enforcement agencies have only a finite amount of people, time, and money to investigate and stop crimes," he noted. "By directing so many of those resources to the War on Marijuana, law enforcement made the ill-advised decision that detecting murderous, fanatical terrorists was less important than arresting non-violent Americans who choose to use marijuana.

"The nearly 4,000 Americans who were killed in the World Trade Center, in the Pentagon, and aboard Flight 93 may have paid the price for that tragically misguided decision."

Of course, what law enforcement did last year can't be altered now, admitted Dasbach. However, such policies can be changed for the future.

"We can't bring back the thousands of Americans who were killed on September 11," he said. "And we can't bring back all the law enforcement resources that were squandered in the past. But we can learn from our mistakes -- and we can learn from the actions of other nations."

For example, noted Dasbach, Great Britain reclassified marijuana in October so it is no longer an arrestable offense.

"For the safety and security of our nation, it's time for the United States to follow the lead of Great Britain," he said. "Then, we could redirect law enforcement -- at the local, state, and federal levels -- to focus on preventing future barbarous acts of terrorism, instead of arresting marijuana-smokers who are no threat to anyone."

-- Tator (you@cant.resist), November 30, 2001

Answers

Make pot legal. Rita insulted me in that other forum and I wrote a retalitory response but the forum people must have decided they wouldn't allow it. It aint there. So, Rita Hill, if you come in here, consider yourself insulted.

-- (appledoo@newyork.com), November 30, 2001.

THis is a rant, and only a rant.

WARNING!!!

First of all, we have to re-look at the country's view on Marijuana. The gov't is saying basically "Drugs are bad, so you cant take or sell them" but at the same time, they are defending tobbacco products which produce basically the same effects as "illegal drugs" (bunch of hypocrites,if you ask me!)

In my opinion, people should be able to do ANYTHING THEY WANT TO THEMSELVES, as long as it doesn't intentionally harm others. The freedom to make our own decisions regarding our minds and bodies is a precious one, that I hold in high regard. And if the govenment bans all those "illegal drugs", then they should ban ALL drugs. Because, they all do the same thing - alter out bodies and mind (the drugs, not the government). And if they did that, than millions of people on perscriptions will die.

GOVENMENT:"Duuhhhh...but at least no one will smoke pot...."

So to wrap up, there should be no "illegal drugs". Because if the govenment bans ONE drug, they might as well ban them ALL.

We now return you to your regularly schedualed program.

-- Davey Rootbeer (yankeefans2@juno.com), November 30, 2001.

they should allow pot people have been smoking it for centurys all other maunfactued drugs should be and aswell as tabbacco products and alcohol

-- smky (potincoffs@yahoo.com), December 01, 2001.

The drug war is all about money. Many of the "dangerous side effects" of the drugs are the same as popular prescription drugs. If people took the street version then the Drug Companies would loose money; they would give less to polititions. And all the lost tax dollars. You cant tax things like weed. Anyone can grow it. Unlike tobacco.

-- Tator (you@cant.resist), December 01, 2001.

Okay, I'm moving to Columbia and taking over a small drug cartell. I will then proceed too eliminate the competition by cutting deals with the US Government and carefully selected assasinations.

-- J. Mac (mac_xavier@yahoo.com), December 02, 2001.

Actually, if they legalized it, most likely companys simaler to Philip Morris would spring up to make quality safe Marajhuana and other drugs(e.g. PCP, LSD, XTC, PRT, and XYZ....hehe)...the pigs in office could then tax that and make alot of money....I think what the pigs are worried about is, if they legalize it, they would have some of the same problems they have now with cigarettes and (a little) with alchohal. You'd have anti-pot ppl, saying that this evil marajhuana should be made illigal again, and the pot companys are selling death. You would also have the black market you have with cigarettes, ppl bringing in the pot(and other drugs) from states with lower tax, or selling it online. Among other minor things like more ODs and kids getting it with fake IDs and having gorwnups get it for them....but other then that it should be legal...

Don't get me wrong...I support the legalisation of all "illgal drugs" but I'm just saying, thats some of the reasons the .gov is saying no to legalizing....if you took some other laws out also you'd get rid of those problems. If you didn't have the Anti-ppl it would work well.

-- Zeed (zeed14@hotmail.com), May 30, 2002.

I think if they legalized weed then a lot of people would quit doing it. I don't think it's such a big deal b/c people who do it usually stay at home and eat he..he. I think it's much safer than drinking beer or liquior. I think some people need to get over the fact that no matter what the government says or what the police officers say people are going to do it anyway.

-- (lil_kryss_17@hotmail.com), October 02, 2002.

i trhink that it should be legalised because we all do it ne ways

-- james (jrsrambo@aol.com), October 28, 2002.

they should legalise it any way people dont care if they get caught they will just do it again

-- david corbett (bite_my_lips@yahoo.com), November 05, 2002.

Screw that goverment's B.S. Drug War help fight the War earn FREE Bongs, Pipes and much more http://tokes.1percent.com/?stoned420

-- Ben Dover (imstoned420@420email.com), February 19, 2003.

I think that they niked all the pot smokers because they cant handle the fact that they have a son or a daughter thats a fucking stoner

-- Neil romen rogers (krogers153@hotmail.com), June 13, 2003.

I think marijuana should be legal.Actually,I think all drugs should be legal.Why shouldn't it be?Doctors give perscription medicine like prozak,then why shouldn't it be legal.It should.people won't listen about not doing drugs,so it should be legal.

-- IdioticLoser (Loser22@rock.com), September 19, 2003.

drugs suck suck suck suck suck suck suck suck suck suck

-- mimi (ruffin@hotmail.com), November 17, 2004.

Theres no reason for pot to be illegal.... you always see all that shit about people getting in car accidents from bein drunk but not as many on pot... so legalize pot and illegalize alcohol you fuckin morons. they say shit like "3 out of every 5 teens in car accidents tested positive for marijuana." That doesnt mean they were high when they were driving you dumb fucks. the governments just pissed because they couldnt tax it and everybody started growing thier own. LEGALIZE THE TREE NIGGERS

-- Jonno (toke_up420@mail.com), March 09, 2005.