Marijuana.com

Coolguy

Teens Say Marijuana "Easy to Get" Despite Record Arrests
Marijuana Policy Project | 12/19/2005

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- For the 31st year in a row, approximately 85% of high school seniors have told government survey-takers that marijuana is "easy to get," according to the 2005 Monitoring the Future survey released today. The report comes less than two months after the FBI reported an all-time record number of marijuana arrests in 2004.

In today's survey, 85.6% of high school seniors described marijuana as being either "fairly easy" or "very easy" to get. This "easy to get" figure has remained virtually unchanged since the survey began in 1975, having never dropped lower than 82.7% (in 1992) or higher than 90.4% (in 1998).

Over the same 31-year period, the number of U.S. marijuana arrests has varied dramatically, dropping to a low of 282,800 in 1991 and then beginning an almost unbroken rise to a record high of 771,605 last year.

"The near-tripling of marijuana arrests since 1991 has produced exactly zero reduction in the availability of marijuana to kids," said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C. "Prohibition of marijuana for adults not only doesn't keep marijuana away from children, it actually guarantees that marijuana stays accessible to young people by giving unregulated criminals an exclusive franchise on marijuana sales."

"In contrast, look at the success we've had with tobacco, another product we don't want children to use," Kampia continued. "Today's survey shows teen smoking at its lowest level ever. Reports from around the country show that tobacco products are becoming less accessible to kids, and merchants can be fined or even lose their license if they sell tobacco to minors. Walk into nearly any store that sells cigarettes, and you'll see a large sign saying, 'Under 18, No Tobacco: We Card.' Have you ever seen a drug dealer with a sign like that? To keep marijuana away from kids, the first step is to take control -- and prohibition guarantees that we have no control."

__________________

 

killer12382

One thing these kids need to understand is if they are caught and convicted they will lose all government student aid and that can have a huge effect on your life.

fight4rights

Quite true, but that doesn't stop people. I'm a college student who does currently use government financial aid, yet I also smoke pot. Thousands of my peers are in the same situation. What's our reasoning? We aren't the people who are going to get caught. (I still haven't been *knocks on wood*.)

If I remember correctly, studies have shown that increased penalities for drugs doesn't deter people from using drugs.

This is an excellent article, too bad it will probably never see any type of major news coverage.

__________________
"Those who do no harm to others should not be harmed by others..." Ethan Nadelmann
"Revolution is not a right, it is an obligation." John Locke
"Do SOMETHING besides argue emotions against the law, because it simply isn't a rational way to affect any type of change whatsoever. No offense intended, but your opinion on things is a moot point unless you take actions to change the law, rather than ramble about how unfair or injust it is." troublemaker_42
"'Just say no' to drugs, except those marketed by big pharmaceutical companies." Ignorant Politicians

ssparhawk

It's pretty sad when that many kids are arrested for smoking pot. that's why I smoke in my room, and on my roof, and occasioanlly else where

F*** tha police

killer12382

Just remember this.....nobody plans on getting arrested. It just happens.

 

SpikeJ

A junior on my bus said that he got busted by his parol officer when he tried to toss his bowl in the trash before the officer checked him. When he tossed it in the trash it made a loud clunk noise and thats how he got busted. That really sucked for him because he got suspended for something like 2 weeks.

P.S. ssparhawk how is it that you get off your roof after you toke up?

Buzzby

Anyone who takes a bowl on a visit to his parole officer deserves to be busted.

__________________

fight4rights

My dad's a district attorney. He saw someone who was walking into their trail drop a bag of weed right in front of the sheriff. Luckily for her he just said "Pick that up and get out of here." I think that woman might have been at the court for drug related charges too.

killer12382

People like that are too stupid to be free for any length of time. Maybe they NEED to do some jail time.