 According to figures published in the DEA’s Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program Statistical Report, agents and their partners confiscated 20 % more cultivated cannabis plants in 2021 than they did in 2020. They also made 25% more arrests, and seized almost double the amount of financial assets.
The Deputy Director of the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws, who’s acronym is NORML, commented on the data. Paul Armentano said, “At a time when the overwhelming majority of voters support legalization, and when more and more states — and even members of Congress — are moving toward this direction, it is troubling to see federal agents and their local partners reversing course and reinvigorating their marijuana-related enforcement activities.” NORML’s Political Director Morgan Fox also pointed out that putting efforts into marijuana confiscation and arrests is unnecessarily burdensome on federal budgets which are paid for by taxpayers. It also puts law enforcement officers at risk. It’s interesting timing that this data has just been released, which is just one week after the U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said, “enforcement resources are not put to their best use prosecuting nonviolent, low-level marijuana offenses, even in jurisdictions where marijuana use remains illegal.” He also said, “With respect to those jurisdictions where marijuana use and sales are lawfully regulated, there is even greater reason to conserve prosecutorial resources so that we can focus our attention on violent crimes and other crimes that cause societal harm and endanger our communities,” Unfortunately these are not actual Federal guidelines, but rather just the Attorney General’s personal perspective. As for an official stance by the Department of Justice, Garland wrote, “the Department is examining a range of issues that relate to marijuana and its production, sale, and use, and we intend to address these issues in the days ahead.” \Hopefully that information will be coming soon, and marijuana confiscation, arrests, and asset seizures will cease. Comments are closed.
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