Marijuana In America: More Mainstream Than Ever, More Arrests Than Ever

[Hissyspit]

http://www.alternet.org/rights/143005/marijuana_in_america%3A_more_mainstream_than_ever%2C_more_arrests_than_ever

Marijuana in America: More Mainstream Than Ever, More Arrests Than Ever
By Tony Newman, AlterNet. Posted September 30, 2009.

- snip -

The entertainment newspaper Variety recently ran a feature story on the depiction of marijuana as an everyday, normal occurrence on TV shows and in movies. The story references NBC's Parks and Recreation, the CBS pilot, Accidentally on Purpose and AMC's Mad Men -- all portraying marijuana use matter-of-factly, without the "reefer madness" storyline.

There's more: Emblazoned on the cover of the September issue of Fortune magazine is a photo of actress Mary Louise Parker, star of the popular Showtime hit series Weeds, teasing the lead story: "How Marijuana Became Legal: Medical Marijuana Is Giving Activists a Chance to Show How a Legitimized Pot Business Can Work. Is the End of Prohibition Upon Us?"

And let's not forget what President Barack Obama, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger all have in common: They are all elected officials who have admitted to smoking marijuana, and it didn't hurt their political careers. In fact, their candor may have even helped boost their appeal in some way by making them seem more approachable and hip, whether by writing about it in memoirs (Obama), being featured in marijuana-reform-organization advertisements (Bloomberg) or being shown enjoying marijuana in documentary films (Schwarzenegger).

While these examples of public figures owning up to past drug use without suffering adverse consequences are a sign of progress toward overcoming the "couch potato" stereotypes of marijuana users, we sadly still have a ways to go when it comes to public policy.

You might be surprised to learn that in the United States more than 750,000 people are arrested every year on marijuana possession. In New York, under "moderate" Bloomberg, there were 40,000 pot arrests last year, and the city now has the unfortunate distinction of being the marijuana-arrest capital of the world.

While marijuana use doesn't discriminate, our marijuana policies do. Nationally and in New York City, marijuana arrests show stark racial disparities. In 2008, 87 percent of those charged with pot possession in New York were black or Latino. These groups represent only about half of the city's population, and U.S. government surveys consistently find that young whites use marijuana at higher rates than blacks and Latinos.

Yet blacks and Latinos are arrested for pot at much higher rates, in part because officers make stop-and-frisks disproportionately in black, Latino and low-income neighborhoods.

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[Le Taz Hot]

1. California is gearing up for a legalization fight.

As far as I know, we're the first state to actually try to legalize it outright. They're gathering petitions now to be able to get it on the ballot in 2010. Unfortunately, there is MIGHTY opposition to this bill already: the crazy-assed gawd-fearers who brought us Prop. H8, the liquor industry, certain municipalities, neighboring states (well, maybe not Oregon) and the ignorami who still think "Reefer Madness" was real.

I'm already seeing statements on DU indicating that we got this one in the bag (pun intended). We thought we had Prop. H8 in the bag too and that didn't turn out real well.

[bobburgster]

2. What a waste of.....

time, cops, money, and energy.

[depakid]

3. Americans do so love their prison system

Biggest and most expensive in the world- bar none!

[Vinca]

4. There have been a couple of recent reports in the local paper

about arrests involving the cultivation of a few plants for personal use. What a freaking waste of time, money and resources. In one of the cases they actually used a helicopter to find a handful of plants. It's stupid.

[Loge23]

5. Sad that we still note this policy

I could say that the prohibition of marijuana is ridiculous, but I've been saying that for over 40 years now.
At this point, the prohibition is laughable - as long as you're not being arrested for it. Actually, those who arrest you probably enjoy a blunt now and again! It's really quite insane.
Let's see... wars, health care, drug policy, infrastructure, transportation - notice how much of the developed world has passed us by on these issues?

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

6. Possession of less than an ounce has been decriminalized in NYS for decades. I just looked up

why the arrests.

http://www.nyclu.org/node/1736

The majority of the nearly 400,000 people arrested for possessing marijuana were not carrying or smoking the drug in public. Most people simply had a small amount of marijuana in their possession, usually concealed in a pocket or backpack. New York State decriminalized marijuana possession in 1977, making it a violation like speeding or driving through a stop light. When police officers coerce or intimidate people into showing marijuana in the open, though, they are able to classify it as a misdemeanor and arrest for it.

“The criminal complaint always charges that they had it in open view,” Steinberg said of her clients in the Bronx. “That is preposterous. It’s obvious that everyone isn’t walking around carrying pot in open view.”

(and people wonder why there is animosity towards police?)