Free Republic

IN 2004, law enforcement officials arrested 771,605 people for marijuana violations, according to federal statistics. Bruce Mirken of the Marijuana Policy Project was so alarmed he sent out a press release noting that there were more arrests for marijuana charges than all violent crimes combined. The number of arrests for possession alone was 684,319. Said Mirken of the 771,605 statistic: "This is, in fact, an all-time record. This number of arrests is the equivalent of arresting every man, woman and child in San Francisco." Some 40 percent of Americans say they have used marijuana or hashish in their lifetime, and...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Police say they're looking for a man who allegedly took lighter fluid from a man who wanted cocaine and used the fluid to set him on fire this week. Anthony Eldridge, 22, of Indianapolis, suffered third-degree burns to 50 percent of his body when a man set him on fire on the 4100 block of Brentwood Drive, the Marion County Sheriff's Department said. Eldridge was in serious condition Wednesday at Wishard Memorial Hospital, RTV6's Derrik Thomas reported. Authorities said they believe Eldridge was carrying charcoal and lighter fluid on Monday, hoping to exchange the items for crack cocaine....