New data published by the FBI this week has revealed that 755,186 people were arrested for marijuana offences in the US in 2003, with 88% (660,000) busted for simple possession.

The record number of arrests represented a doubling of pot related arrests since 1994 and came soon after the Republican administration urged prosecutors to be particularly merciless with offenders.

"Marijuana and violence are linked," they declared in a memo in 2002, "no drug matches the threat posed by marijuana."

More recently, President Bush ordered police to switch resources from targeting heroin and cocaine to cannabis, suggesting pot arrest figures could skyrocket even further if the Republicans remain in power for four more years. Independent candidate Ralph Nader also highlighted the drugs issue this week in an open letter to George W, urging him to pardon 30,000 non-violent drug offenders at the end of his first term.

"As someone who has acknowledged having a substance abuse problem you understand the importance of treatment for addiction. I'm sure you also recognize that if you had been incarcerated for cocaine use you probably would not have gone on to have the career you have had," said Mr Nader.

"Therefore, you should be especially sensitive to the need for correcting the injustice of incarceration for non-violent drug offences," he urged.

[i][b]remind me again how the hunt for osama bin laden is going[/b][/i] :roll:

^^ word. nader is the man. too bad he isn't on any ballots next week thanks to mr. kerry. :evil:

I know it is sad. I would of voted for nader to. He is the best out of kerry and bush. I don't like either of the candidates. But you have to vote. So maybe I just write someone in as a joke.

it is illegal. why did you expect? :?

[quote=rewing3]I know it is sad. I would of voted for nader to. He is the best out of kerry and bush. I don't like either of the candidates. But you have to vote. So maybe I just write someone in as a joke.[/quote]

why do you HAVE to vote?

go ahead and not vote... or go ahead and vote for a third party and throw your vote away...

^^ or go ahead and DIE...

cause if you don't vote, P.Diddy will kill you!! :roll:

[quote] "Marijuana and violence are linked," they declared in a memo in 2002, "no drug matches the threat posed by marijuana." [/quote] omfg.. if that isn't bullshit than i don't know what is!! grrrr....

^ agreed. complete and utter bullshit!!

wow..nearly 2,000 people each DAY :shock:

and you know what's funny/sad? Heroin use is rising in the younger kids because it's cheap to find...cheaper then pot in some cases.

Re: America Arrests Record Numbers Of Pot Smokers

legalize it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :Blazed:

lmao if you guys would legalize it allot of problems would go away, and that about it causing violence is complete bs it probably has the opposite effect atleast on me :roll:

Re: America Arrests Record Numbers Of Pot Smokers

Well, I'm glad i Live in BC where we don't have to deal with ridiculous penalties for possesion and cultivation. Sure it's still "illegal", but unless you're blatently commercial about it, you should be fine.

I remember watching an expose a couple years ago about a Calfornia guy who got life in prison for a small grow-op, like 4000 watts or something minor. Killers and rapists go free but those growers, they're a real detriment to society :P

Legalize it? I wish!

gimme gimme!! :mrgreen:

Re: America Arrests Record Numbers Of Pot Smokers

have a beer smoke a wizzo...

move to amsterdam if u wanna be a free pothead.

vote for kerry to simply get bush out..

th tht th thaththth THATS WHAT I THINK :lol:

Re: America Arrests Record Numbers Of Pot Smokers

[quote=esef] "Marijuana and violence are linked," they declared in a memo in 2002, "no drug matches the threat posed by marijuana." [/quote]

ive seen more cases on cops of some hilbilley beatin on some woman whilst jacked up on meth than some hippie or kids busted for weedja.

Re: America Arrests Record Numbers Of Pot Smokers

marijuana's bad.

mmm, mmmmkay

[quote=esef]^^ or go ahead and DIE...

cause if you don't vote, P.Diddy will kill you!! :roll:[/quote]

:lol:

...turd sandwich or dooch bag...

[quote=asdf_admin]it is illegal. why did you expect? :?[/quote] I expected the police not to switch from targeting heroin and cocaine to busting college kids for having a $20 of pot. Please, come on.. just because something was made illegal 80 years ago on some racist s&*% doesn't mean it's a good idea. Any european country where pot (and other drugs) are legal always have way lower violent crime rates than we do. Barely any stoners crash cars and kill people like alcoholics do, and when they do they're also drunk as hell. And when they have to sit in jail for a week they'll be pissed off the whole time they're in there and when they get out they're gonna score a huge sack and smoke their brains out. Bottom line: Having more and more police go around and bust people for weed when they could be doing FAR more important things is simply retarded.

As mentioned in a previous thread in the Politics forum-- if you are any sort of pot-smoker and you are even considering a vote for George Bush, your priorities are extremely missplaced.

Go to the Norml website for a Presidential Report Card: [url]http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5895[/url]

And yeah, pretty much all the Third Party candidates get the thumbs up.

I, too, am more in the ideological viewpoint of Ralph Nader-- I just don't like his practices, and at this point, a hunk of rotten cheese would be better than George Bush.

[quote=chonkey][quote=asdf_admin]it is illegal. why did you expect? :?[/quote] I expected the police not to switch from targeting heroin and cocaine to busting college kids for having a $20 of pot. Please, come on.. just because something was made illegal 80 years ago on some racist s&*% doesn't mean it's a good idea. Any european country where pot (and other drugs) are legal always have way lower violent crime rates than we do. [b]Barely any stoners crash cars and kill people like alcoholics do, and when they do they're also drunk as hell.[/b] And when they have to sit in jail for a week they'll be pissed off the whole time they're in there and when they get out they're gonna score a huge sack and smoke their brains out. Bottom line: Having more and more police go around and bust people for weed when they could be doing FAR more important things is simply retarded.[/quote]

this kills me, when I see adverts about marijuana, and they are talking about some kid who got in a wreck and killed someone, and he had marijuana in his system. Doesnt mean he was high you ignorant fucks, he could have smoked a week ago, or a month... it can stay in your system so long, it is irrelavent.

Re: America Arrests Record Numbers Of Pot Smokers

this this country has nothing better else to do than bust a bunch of kids smokin pot.they should concentrate on getting murderers and rapists off the streets. :twisted: