[cripplecreek]

Simply decriminalizing drugs or DEA funding isn’t going to solve a serious and complex social problem

Exactly. I would rather treat drug users than imprison them but the simple fact is that most are on their way to jail in the first place.

Back when I smoked pot I was arrested once and was fined and put on probation for 6 months. I never once saw anyone go to jail for possession alone. I even know of a guy arrested with manufacturing marijuana for sale (Police said a street value of $100,000). Since he was otherwise clean he didn't go to prison but he did get a 10 year suspended sentence, probation and big fines.

[KDD]

(1980-2009 - Total, marijuana and drug arrests by year) Although the intent of a ‘War on Drugs’ may have been to target drug smugglers and ‘King Pins,’ over half (51.6%) of the 1,663,582 total 2009 arrests for drug abuse violations were for marijuana — a calculated total of 858,408. Of those, an estimated 758,593 people (45.6%) were arrested for marijuana possession alone. By contrast in 2000, a total of 734,497 Americans were arrested for marijuana offenses, of which 646,042 were for possession alone.

http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/Marijuana#Share