The so-called “war on drugs” is mostly a war on marijuana in several U.S. states, according to a new analysis of FBI data.
Last year, over half of all drug arrests were for cannabis in Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska and Wisconsin, the review by the pro-legalization advocacy group NORML shows.
“In many prohibition states, a significant portion of law enforcement and prosecutorial resources are still being directed toward arresting tens of thousands of cannabis consumers for activities that are now perfectly legal in nearly half of this country,” NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said.
Louisiana had the highest percent of total drug arrests accounted for by cannabis possession, at 62 percent.
The state’s governor recently signed legislation that threatens to send people to jail for up to one year if they smoke marijuana within 2,000 feet of a school property—including a college campus.
In Idaho, 55 percent of drug arrests were for cannabis.
The governor there signed legislation last year setting a $300 mandatory minimum fine for marijuana possession. Advocates attempted to get a measure to legalize medical cannabis on this November’s ballot, but they fell short. Voters will decide on a separate proposed constitutional amendment, however, to make it
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