Reply #15: According to NORML...

[GReedDiamond]

...as of October 12, 2006, it is "nearly one in eight":

http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7071

...while, according to the U.S. Dept. of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, "2,310,984 prisoners were held in federal or state prisons or in local jails," which works out to approximately 288,873 POWs (Prisoners of Weed).

Almost 300,000 incarcerated for touching marijuana, I'd say that's almost 300,000 too many.

Additionally, at the link, you will also see that as of 2005, 20% of State sentenced inmates were for "drug" offenses, or one of every five persons incarcerated.

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/prisons.htm

Taking 20% of the prison population out of the prison system would save an enormous amount of revenue, which could certainly be used for more productive programs/needs.