Examining cannabis through the available data gives us certainty. Numbers are precise. Statistics settle arguments and help place issues into context. So we’re taking a closer look at cannabis data in terms of arrests, use, cultivation, availability and consumption to find out what the numbers tell us about marijuana in the United States.
According to the annual National Drug Threat Assessment (NDTA), which is put together by federal law enforcement, “Marijuana is the most widely available and commonly used illicit drug in the United States.” This article looks more closely at just what that statement means.
The data in this article was all produced by the federal government. In that respect, it also reveals what information the government has about marijuana and marijuana users. The truth is that the government knows how many people use marijuana, that prohibition has not reduced or even controlled marijuana use, and that the goal of using prohibition to discourage marijuana use is a delusion. The government is also aware that under prohibition the United States has become the premier producer of marijuana in the world, setting the global standard for cannabis cultivation. Just about anyone in the United States who wants marijuana can find it easily, and what they find is generally of the highest quality. The government also knows that the spread of cannabis legalization is draining prohibition of any credible justification for its continued existence.
Arrests and Use
Roxanna Allen
In the United States, cannabis legalization began to be implemented in 2013. The criminal penalties ended by state legalization and decriminalization accounted for approximately 20 percent of annual marijuana arrests from 2001 to 2010.
In 2007, 872,720 total marijuana arrests were made nationwide. That’s the largest number of marijuana arrests ever made in a year. Taking