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 Nymphaea
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 Police Focus on Marijuana a Danger to Public Safety [MPP] 
#11376393 - 11/03/09 01:49 PM (8 years, 9 months ago) |
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http://blog.mpp.org/tax-and-regulate/police-focus-on-marijuana-a-danger-to-public-safety/11032009/
Police Focus on Marijuana a Danger to Public Safety
by F. Aaron Smith
A frequent claim made by opponents of marijuana policy reform is that hardly anybody is ever really arrested for low-level marijuana offenses. But like most prohibitionist arguments, that’s a lie.
In California, where marijuana possession was “decriminalized” in 1976 and medical marijuana legalized 20 years later, the state Department of Justice reports that law enforcement conducted a record 78,492 marijuana arrests in 2008. About 80% of these (61,366) were for mere possession – not sale or cultivation.
The California-based Center for Juvenile and Criminal Justice (CJCJ) took a long look at trends for marijuana arrests in the state and revealed some disturbing information. In its recent report to the California Legislature, CJCJ showed that the arrest rate for marijuana possession has skyrocketed in California – up 127% – between 1990 and 2008. But during the same period, arrests for all other offenses in California decreased by 40% – including other drug possession, which sank by nearly 30%. The arrest rate for marijuana sales and manufacturing even decreased 21% during this period.
You can’t help but conclude from this data that California’s police agencies have developed an almost singular focus on marijuana possession as their top law enforcement priority. This is shocking, not only because most Californians now say they want marijuana legal, but because it’s a dangerous and irresponsible use of limited public safety resources.
Last year, while California’s law enforcement officers were rounding up a record number of marijuana consumers, almost 60,000 reported violent crimes never resulted in an arrest.* Thanks to decriminalization in California, these arrests usually don’t result in jail or lengthy detainment, but they do take real police time and other criminal justice resources.
Anyone unfortunate enough to have been a victim of an unsolved crime should support repealing marijuana prohibition and freeing up police to focus on public safety rather than consensual adult activity that’s no more harmful than drinking beer or wine.
*Source: FBI, Crime in the U.S., 2008
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learningtofly
Ancient Aliens
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Re: Police Focus on Marijuana a Danger to Public Safety [MPP] [Re: Nymphaea]
#11376437 - 11/03/09 01:54 PM (8 years, 9 months ago) |
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I hate to play devil's advocate but the crime rate in the U.S. has been steadily decreasing for at least 20 years which would explain the decrease in arrests for other crimes.
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Cap Stemson
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Re: Police Focus on Marijuana a Danger to Public Safety [MPP] [Re: learningtofly]
#11376719 - 11/03/09 02:38 PM (8 years, 9 months ago) |
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Its hard to understand how police in big cities, the year 2009, are still arresting people for cannabis possession. It seems like the masses of people are getting dumber somehow. It takes under 2 years to become a cop, so appearantly any idiot can get a badge on his chest and a gun. This is why law enforcement is a joke when it comes to these issues.
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Morgenstern
it's hot as hell
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Re: Police Focus on Marijuana a Danger to Public Safety [MPP] [Re: Nymphaea]
#11377581 - 11/03/09 04:49 PM (8 years, 9 months ago) |
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How dare these fucks to compare rape and murder to a plant?
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Reviving the ancient future's religion.
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Nymphaea
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Re: Police Focus on Marijuana a Danger to Public Safety [MPP] [Re: learningtofly]
#11378330 - 11/03/09 06:41 PM (8 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
learningtofly said:
I hate to play devil's advocate but the crime rate in the U.S. has been steadily decreasing for at least 20 years which would explain the decrease in arrests for other crimes.
How is the crime rate measured? How many arrests there are? IDK myself but that should be looked into. Then the decrease in arrests could explain the decrease in the crime rate.
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Edited by Nymphaea (11/03/09 06:42 PM)
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tempingasashaman
\\\\\\\\////////\\\\\\\\
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Re: Police Focus on Marijuana a Danger to Public Safety [MPP] [Re: Nymphaea]
#11378395 - 11/03/09 06:51 PM (8 years, 9 months ago) |
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I guess the police want to make as much money as they can while it's still an option for them.
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the greatest use of life is to spend it on something that will outlast it
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finchvalor
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Re: Police Focus on Marijuana a Danger to Public Safety [MPP] [Re: tempingasashaman]
#11382405 - 11/04/09 11:18 AM (8 years, 9 months ago) |
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fuck police. RIP rachel hoffman
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Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned.
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learningtofly
Ancient Aliens
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Re: Police Focus on Marijuana a Danger to Public Safety [MPP] [Re: Nymphaea]
#11382899 - 11/04/09 01:00 PM (8 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
Nymphaea said:
Quote:
learningtofly said:
I hate to play devil's advocate but the crime rate in the U.S. has been steadily decreasing for at least 20 years which would explain the decrease in arrests for other crimes.
How is the crime rate measured? How many arrests there are? IDK myself but that should be looked into. Then the decrease in arrests could explain the decrease in the crime rate.
National Crime Victimization Survey + Uniform Crime Report
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weephar
The Consultant
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Re: Police Focus on Marijuana a Danger to Public Safety [MPP] [Re: learningtofly]
#11383303 - 11/04/09 01:59 PM (8 years, 9 months ago) |
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Great...now I feel safe!
That horrible plant won't get me now!
/s
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Life is good! (and it is also a journey)
Free Rudd!
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Nymphaea
Smoker/Tripper/Legalizer
Registered: 04/16/09
Posts: 1,857
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Re: Police Focus on Marijuana a Danger to Public Safety [MPP] [Re: learningtofly]
#11384421 - 11/04/09 04:20 PM (8 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
learningtofly said:
Quote:
Nymphaea said:
Quote:
learningtofly said:
I hate to play devil's advocate but the crime rate in the U.S. has been steadily decreasing for at least 20 years which would explain the decrease in arrests for other crimes.
How is the crime rate measured? How many arrests there are? IDK myself but that should be looked into. Then the decrease in arrests could explain the decrease in the crime rate.
National Crime Victimization Survey + Uniform Crime Report
Gotchya. No one is going to report getting victimized when someone smokes weed. lol.
If the crime rate has been decreasing then it shows that police perhaps are trying to make up for lost revenue by arresting more pot smokers.
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