[William Terrell]

Since the users of cocoa and opium derivatives are such a small percentage of the pop, and cannabis users are such a large percentage of the pop, dropping cannabis from the rolls would lose Mr. Capra and the DEA virtually all its power. Perhaps it would be merged into the BATF making it the BADTF.

[robertpaulsen]

"a small percentage of the pop"

Of what? I don't understand "pop".

A small percentage of DEA arrests? Of convictions? Of incarcerations? Of tons of seizures? Of dollars of seizures?* Of their overall focus/effort?

99% of marijuana arrests are made at the state or local level. Look at the DEA budget and you'll see that about half of it is for drug awareness/education and anti-drug advertising and the other half is for drug interdiction at our borders and overseas.

You can pull marijuana out and it wouldn't change a thing at the federal level.

If marijuana were legalized and regulated, I would posit that the number of DEA agents would increase to prevent marijuana exports to other countries. In addition, I agree the BATF would expand -- to the BATFM to monitor marijuana retail licensing and growing operations.

Financed by marijuana taxes, of course. But those agencies will grow.

* Marijuana represents about 15% of what Americans spend on illegal drugs.