Drug Busts Still Lead Arrest Statistics, Even as Marijuana Prohibition Fades: New at Reason

Sometimes it seems like no problem in America is too small to overreact to.

J.D. Tuccille writes:

As troubled as our country is at the moment, divided between two main mutually contemptuous (and contemptible) political blocs, facing a rising generation seemingly frightened by the exchange of ideas inherent in a devotion to protecting free speech, and apparently committed to placing either a psychopath or a sociopath in the White House, at least the country is winding down the depredations caused by drug prohibition. Four states have legalized marijuana for recreational use, and many more have made it available as a medical treatment. Their ranks are likely to be joined after November by—

What’s that you say? Cops are still filling out their arrest quotas with drug busts?

Holy crap. You’re right.

“The highest number of arrests were for drug abuse violations (estimated at 1,488,707 arrests),” the FBI announced about its recently released crime statistics for 2015. Drug busts were followed by “larceny-theft (estimated at 1,160,390), and driving under the influence (estimated at 1,089,171).”

View this article.