This brings the total number of marijuana arrests under Clinton to approximately 2,800,000. During this time reported teen marijuana use has increased every year. It is clear that arresting marijuana users is having little effect on the use of marijuana.

In the 1970s the highest number of arrests was 457,000 in 1977. In the 1980’s, during Reagan’s renewed "war on drugs," marijuana arrests averaged around 400,000, and the peak was 451,000 in 1985. Oddly, in 1991, the first year of the Clinton administration, arrests were only 283,000, the lowest level since 1971.

This year’s 87% of marijuana arrests for simple possession was equaled only in 1979. Only in 1991 and 1992 did the percentage of arrests for simple possession drop to 79%. In all other years since 1977, when sale and possession numbers were first separated, possession cases have averaged over 80% of the total.

Marijuana arrests almost reached the 717,000 combined total number of arrests for the violent crimes of murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. .

This shows what a significant waste of finite criminal justice resources marijuana prohibition has become.

To show how badly these law enforcement resources are needed, the FBI reports that the police solved only about half of all violent crimes and were able to solve only 14 percent of the burglaries and car thefts!

It would seem that finding murderers and thieves would be a better use of police time than arresting marijuana users.

The FBI reported that overall crime is down for the sixth straight year. Crime decreased 3 percent from the 1996 rate and 13 percent from a decade ago. It is now supposedly at the lowest level since 1974. However, there is something seriously wrong with DEAland crime statistics, and it is very likely that both real crimes and marijuana arrests are greatly underreported.