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Drug War Facts

Click on the book cover to go to the table of contents, or browse the chapter list to the left. 		"A valuable resource for anyone concerned with drug policy."


— Ira Rosen, Producer, 60 Minutes

"Drug War Facts offers a treasure trove for serious seekers of useful facts and sources about all sides of the drug war."


— Clarence Page, Syndicated Columnist,
Chicago Tribune

"A compendium of facts that fly in the face of
accepted wisdom."


— David F. Duncan, Clinical Associate Professor,
Brown University Medical School

Drug War Facts provides reliable information with applicable citations on important public health and criminal justice issues. It is updated continuously by its Editor, Mary Jane Borden.

Most charts, facts and figures are from government sources, government-sponsored sources, peer reviewed journals and occasionally newspapers. In all cases the source is cited so that journalists, scholars and students can verify, check context and obtain additional information.

Our mission is to offer useful facts, cited from authoritative sources, to a debate that is often characterized by myths, error, emotion and dissembling. We believe that in time an informed society will correct its errors and generate wiser policies.

Drug War Facts is sponsored by Common Sense for Drug Policy. Its directors are Kevin B. Zeese, President; H. Michael Gray, Chair; Robert E. Field, Co-Chair; Melvin R. Allen, JD; David Borden; Balázs Denés, JD; Ernest Drucker, Ph.D.; Kris Krane; and Doug McVay.

To the extent of its copyrights, Common Sense for Drug Policy authorizes and encourages the use and republication of some or all portions of this book. Questions, comments or suggestions for additions and modifications are most welcome and may be addressed to Mary Jane Borden at mjborden@drugwarfacts.org.


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A PDF copy of Drug War Facts, 6th Edition is also available.

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Did You Know?

(1980-2009 - marijuana arrests percent share of total arrests by year) The following table references the drug and marijuana arrests columns in the "US Arrests" table. It pairs "Total Marijuana Arrests," "Marijuana Trafficking/Sale Arrests," and "Marijuana Possession Arrests" against "Total Drug Arrests" to arrive at the percentage each has of the total for the respective years. This table shows the growing dominance of marijuana arrests among total drug arrests in the U.S., rising from a percentage of 39.9% of total drug arrests in 1995 to 52.6% of such arrests in 2009. Further, while arrests for sales and trafficking have wavered a few percentage points around 5-6% of total drug arrests, the numbers driving marijuana's increased dominance of total drug arrests are arrests for simple possession, jumping from 34.1% in 1995 to 45.6% in 2009. Arrests for marijuana possession have risen from about a third to about a half of all drug arrests over that fifteen year span.
US Marijuana Arrests Share of Total Arrests
Year Total Marijuana Arrests Marijuana Trafficking & Sale Arrests Marijuana Possession Arrests
2009 52.6% 6.0% 45.6%
2008 49.8% 5.5% 44.3%
2007 47.4% 5.3% 42.1%
2006 43.9% 4.8% 39.1%
2005 42.6% 4.9% 37.7%
2004 44.3% 5.0% 39.3%
2003 45.0% 5.5% 39.5%
2002 45.3% 5.4% 39.9%
2001 45.6% 5.2% 40.4%
2000 46.5% 5.6% 40.9%
1999 46.0% 5.5% 40.5%
1998 43.8% 5.4% 38.4%
1997 43.9% 5.6% 38.3%
1996 42.6% 6.3% 36.3%
1995 39.9% 5.8% 34.1%
 
 
Source: 
Please see U.S. Arrests table.