[Ken H]

For the last 10 years, the number of marijuana arrests has been flat.

Marijuana arrests/past-month use:

1994 - 481,000/10,000,000
2004 - 771,000/14,500,000

Rio Linda summary for 1994-2004: Arrests up by almost 60%, past-month use up over 40%!

[robertpaulsen]

Well, when I said the last 10 years I looked at the 1996, 1997 number and was ballparking -- 650-700-750 -- same difference. (1994 was 12 years ago.)

If you want to nitpick, fine -- then let's go ahead and compare the 1996 number of 641,000 to the most recent figure, 771,000 -- that's a 20% increase. Drug use went up 40% in the same period.

We're arresting fewer people, and that's part of the reason for the increase. It's not THE reason, it's not even the main reason. It's one factor.