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a new FBI study indicates that marijuana arrests are still near a record high
even though there is more public support toward decriminalization or legalization
doesn't matter turns out that federal authorities and you know state
authorities are still resting at alarming rates
so just to give you guys some specific numbers marijuana cicis tix up to 2011
there were about 749 1800 24 rests
and 87 percent for no more then simple possession so we're not talking about
drug dealers or
kingpins or anything like that we're talking about people who just got caught
with simple marijuana possession
okay when you look at new york city specifically
in New York City for over 15 years more people have been arrested for marijuana
possession
then for any other criminal charge whatsoever
one arrest in 8 is for simple possession of a small amount of marijuana
and that's according to a SUNY sociology professor and marijuana policy
researcher
okay I saw Nick clear about something: we say when we say up to 11
were saying that there was up to that many arrests but they all happen in a
year
yesterday so in one year alone an meeting
as latest 2011 wade into way into President Obama's
first-term where we present Obama famously of course said
before he was elected that he would not focus
the on this that it was in a wise way to spend
prosecutor all time and energies et cetera
but it turns out we were so breaking records all the way up to 2011
and when you're alone 750,000 caresses and
unbelievable number did let down at all
right now we'll have to see a couple years from now when they collect numbers
for 2013 and 2014
whether che's at all cuz once again now they've said
no no this time we really mean it in Colorado and Washington where they made
it legal
we're not going to spend a lot of federal time and energy prosecuting
those cases
then the next day you week they put out a statement saying well I mean
don't get us wrong we might but but overall
I gotta says from them that this time they do mean it we'll see what kind of
effect it has a by the way they could mean about Colorado and Washington
and still says the strain is our headed in that direction
all across the country different locality states
and the federal government not to 48 other states can continue to break
records in
arresting people for marijuana yeah and I should note that
in New York City the New York Police Department did release statistics
on marijuana arrests in this year the first half of this year
the reason why they did that was because they wanted to show that it's no longer
a priority to
arrest people for marijuana possession and according to those statistics the
numbers were down significantly
so that's promising information and i think that you're going to see that
probably across the board but still to know that so much
federal money so much over upstate dollars are going towards
arrest for simple possession is maddening also recommend that you guys
see the House I Live In its on Netflix now I watched over the weekend
what are the best documentaries I've ever seen really really
lays out how this drug war
is first evolved racist okay how it disproportionately impacts blacks
Latinos
and just how much more resources go toward the war on drugs
and the differences between crack *** and ***
I mean it's just the way that they make it it's not like a harder drugs or
anything like that
it's amazing anyway so according to the statistics right now
young so whites use marijuana
at a slightly higher rate then wait than young blacks and Latinos
blacks Latinos of course get arrested 44 greater rates a recent study at
four to one ratio and thats partly cuz and place like New York be a stop in
frist
why people are you stopping for so you don't get the drugs I'm
black and latinos use that in the first though I you see that your drugs any
I'd over the white guys in this case because the numbers the young white guys
have more drugs on them than us a little bit more right
but you never stop and frisk up as partly were explains a 4:1 ratio
is some places some states some cities is that eight to one ratio
so yes there's the issue of for small majorie the country thinks that
part should be legal in the first place great and were caressing sorry fifty
thousand people a year
based on this madness anyway and then there's a second issue that Anna brings
up
which is clearly backed up by the numbers that has a terribly racial
component
which in it kinda allows us to do as some have argued
Jim Crow all over again 0 you know
blacks Alito's week we can't legally discriminate against them
well we can stop and frisk a more weekend you know is I just in your
weekend
all over the country *** stop more and then all we look at that we put 10
putting more them in jail