600 people are still arrested every day in America for marijuana.
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At NORML, this is a stark reminder of why we do the work that we do and how much more still needs to be done.
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While nearly half of all states have moved to sensibly legalize and regulate cannabis over the past decade, many jurisdictions continue to place marijuana consumers in handcuffs. For example, in Alabama, nearly half of all drug arrests are for marijuana. In Georgia, 40 percent of those arrested for drug violations are charged with violating marijuana laws. In Texas, almost one-third of all drug-related arrests are for minor marijuana violations. In Pennsylvania, 1 in 5 drug arrests are for marijuana.
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Nationwide, police made over 220,000 marijuana-related arrests in 2023, according to the FBI’s new Crime in the United States report. Most of those arrested were charged with simple possession. This is a tremendous waste of police resources that ruins lives.
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Behind every one of these arrests, there’s a person – a person with a family, a person with a story. At NORML, we never forget that.
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That is why we work so hard to make the case that the responsible use of cannabis should not be a crime. Even one marijuana arrest is one too many.
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With your help, we are changing things for the better. Marijuana arrests are down nearly 75 percent nationwide from their peak in 2007. And both major-party Presidential candidates now acknowledge that it’s time to stop arresting Americans for the possession and use of cannabis, a substance that is safer than either tobacco or alcohol.
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