cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Possession: Records Show Few Jailed Marijuana Possession: Records Show Few Jailed Posted by CN Staff on October 02, 2002 at 09:02:57 PT By Ed Vogel, Review-Journal Capital Bureau Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal Las Vegas police records show that only 14 of the 187 people arrested on marijuana charges in June ended up in jail on a sole charge of marijuana possession, a narcotics officer said Tuesday. Todd Raybuck said the figures show that local police are not spending an extravagant amount of time handling minor marijuana cases when they could be working on major crimes, as was claimed by the leader of a marijuana legalization effort. While a report filed by the Metropolitan Police Department with the FBI for June stated 187 people were arrested for marijuana offenses, Raybuck said his examination of each arrest found 115 people actually were issued citations and sent on their way. Most of the others were booked for other crimes, according to Raybuck, while just 14 ended up in jail on only the single charge of marijuana possession. Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement is pushing for approval of Question 9 on the Nov. 5 statewide ballot. Passage this fall and again in 2004 would allow adult Nevadans legally to possess 3 ounces or less of marijuana in the privacy of their homes. "It is not accurate to say we are spending time on marijuana instead of other crimes that threaten the public safety," Raybuck said. "It is the practice of the Las Vegas Metro Police Department to issue citations to those persons found in possession of 1 ounce unless other aggravating circumstances exist." Billy Rogers, leader of the pro-marijuana group, charged Monday that law enforcement officials are misleading the public about the number of people being arrested for marijuana possession. He pointed out that anti-Question 9 leaders like Raybuck and Clark County Deputy District Attorney Gary Booker repeatedly have said 50 people were arrested on marijuana charges in the first six months of 2002 when the Police Department's Web site reported 187 arrests for marijuana in June alone. Booker clarified Monday that only 50 people have been arrested on the sole charge of marijuana. Many others were booked on charges of burglary, domestic violence and other crimes, in addition to marijuana possession, he said. Since a law went into effect in October 2001 that made possession of an ounce or less of marijuana a misdemeanor, Raybuck said police typically hand offenders who only face a marijuana offense a citation. Offenders can be fined $600. Rogers questioned Tuesday why Las Vegas police reported 187 marijuana arrests in June if people only received citations in 115 of those cases. "They are reporting those as arrests," he said. "When Metro tells the world they arrested 187 people for simple marijuana possession, I believe them and not a detective that had nothing to do with compiling the reports." Since possession of an ounce or less is a misdemeanor, the same as a speeding ticket, Rogers questioned why citations should be counted as arrests. "Do you know how many arrests they reported for speeding tickets?" he added. "Zero." Raybuck said FBI uniform crime reporting rules consider citations issued in marijuana cases as arrests. He added it has taken time to train 2,000 police officers in Clark County on how they should handle offenders under the new misdemeanor possession law. "The standard practice is to issue them a citation equivalent to a traffic citation and release them," he said. "We just don't go out on the street and scoop people up for marijuana." He said it is difficult to determine why there were 50 actual arrests in the first half of 2002 on the sole charge of marijuana possession. Police may have interceded in domestic crises in some of those cases, found no signs of violence but spotted marijuana, Raybuck said. To handle the potential violence problem, they may have elected to book people for marijuana possession, he suggested.Official: Figures evidence police not spending too much time handling minor drug offenses Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV)Author: Ed Vogel, Review-Journal Capital BureauPublished: Wednesday, October 02, 2002Copyright: 2002 Las Vegas Review-JournalContact: letters lvrj.comWebsite: http://www.lvrj.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:NRLEhttp://www.nrle.org/Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Marijuana Backer Says Foe Fudging Arrest Numbershttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14315.shtmlQuestion 9 Enjoys Potpourri of Supporthttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14311.shtmlWe Could Go Up in Smoke Over This http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14310.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #5 posted by DdC on October 02, 2002 at 14:52:38 PT Best Wishes and Hopes Nevada! Long Live Freedom! serving 90 yearsIn October, 2001, the Parole Board of Oklahoma recommended James for parole on the first 45-year sentence! He now needs your help in asking Gov. Keating to sign it. See below.charged with cultivation and possession of five marijuana plants In 1992, James Geddes was walking along a street with a friend when he got arrested. The police got a search warrant and went to the home rented by his friend. They found a small amount of marijuana, paraphernalia for smoking marijuana, and five plants growing in their vegetable garden.There was no evidence that James lived at this house, although he was a frequent visitor. He refused to plea bargain as he claimed his innocence and was sentenced to 75 years and one day for cultivation of five plants and to another 75 years, plus one day for possession of marijuana. He was also charged with possession of a firearm and paraphernalia. James filed an appeal on his sentence. In 1995, his appeal came through, which reduced it to 90 years."I honestly feel like I have been kidnapped by the state of Oklahoma. I have never murdered anyone, raped anyone, or hurt any children. People feel they have the right to choose their sexual preference. If they want to end a life by abortion, if they want to inject nicotine into their lungs, if they want to drug themselves with alcohol, but because I choose to smoke a little marijuana, I have to go to prison for years, maybe the rest of my life...."How can it be that the President, his wife, the Vice President and his wife, the mayor of Washington DC, even the Speaker of the House can do these things, but I must pay dearly?" Good News! This October James went up for parole on the first of two consecutive sentences of 45 years and a day each. The parole board granted him parole, but now it is up to Governor Keating to sign it. Thank you to all who signed his petition for release. Now, James asks that you write a letter to Governor Keating in his behalf. If he is granted parole on the first sentence, he stands a good chance of making the other. Lets stop this war now.Please express that all letters must me tactful and courteous. No extreme stuff in the letters about legalization, etc. Your letter should emphasize James' excessive sentence for the crime, compassion, and so forth. James would also like to extent his thanks for your help also;For additional information on James' case, please contact Norma Sapp at (405) 321-4619, 800 SE 180th, Norman, Ok. 73026 or Will Foster at (510) 533-0605. Your letters are needed ASAP. Sample letter and address below: SAMPLE LETTER to GOVERNOR FRANK KEATING (scroll down) http://hr95.org/Geddes,J.htmlRelease Petition http://hr95.org/geddes.petition.htmFree James Geddes http://hr95.org/Geddes,J.htmlNovember Coalition http://www.november.orgFAMM http://www.famm.org/VCL- Lawyers and Judges against the drug war http://vcl.org/ Drug Reform Coordination Network http://drcnet.org/Cops Against The Drug War http://drcnet.org/cops/M.A.M.A. http://www.mamas.orgF.E.A.R. http://www.fear.orgN.O.R.M.L. http://norml.orgHuman Rights and the WoD http://www.hr95.orgDrug Sense http://www.drugsense.orgChange the Climate http://www.changetheclimate.org Media Scan: MotherJones.com Prison Growth Report, Twisted Badge Racial Profiling Series, Chicago Tribune on Prohibition and the Drug War http://www.drcnet.org/wol/194.html#mediascanDebt to Society http://www.motherjones.com/prisons/The Real Price of Prisons http://www.motherjones.com/prisonsDubya and Me: We've Got No Idea http://www.motherjones.com/magazine/MJ01/dubya.htmlWomen and Prisons: Unequal Justice http://www.startribune.com/stonline/html/special/prison/I LOST MY FREEDOM Linx http://pub3.ezboard.com/fendingcannabisprohibitionlinx.showMessage?topicID=22.topic Free the Prisoners of WoD Poster [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by DdC on October 02, 2002 at 10:40:45 PT Cannabis Users Loss of the 5th Amendment. 95% of cananbis trials end in plea bargaining fines. 5% risk mandatory minimum sentencing using their right to a trial by jury. Ends justifying means. Not compassion on the part of LEO!The Health & Human Services Dept sits on the Institute of Medicine report, (and others) that clears cannabis to remove it from a schedule #1 drug. Until it is released Congress only has political motivation to go on with the disease of prohibition. Until Congress acts the Supreme Court rules on present law and avoids the reality of 7 patients receiving government grown cannabis and the numerous medical reports disproving the myths that Congress uses to keep cannabis competition off the free market. Statistics also show an increase in cannabis eradications, in their warped minds this means more growers and users, justifying even larger eradication budgets. When in reality the increase comes from adding hemp ditchweed to the count. Now 99% of the marijuana eradications are non-psychoactive food, fuel and fiber plants.We must stop the war on medical marijuana Wednesday, 5 June 2002 By Andrew Weil http://www.letfreedomgrow.com/articles/az020605.htmDitchweed Update: DEA Numbers http://www.drcnet.org/wol/195.html#ditchweednumbersAnnual Ditchweed Eradication Boondoggle Underway Again http://www.drcnet.org/wol/194.html#ditchweedFEDERAL MARIJUANA ERADICATION PROGRAM SEIZES NOTHING BUT DITCHWEED, STATE AUDITOR'S REPORT SAYS http://www.drcnet.org/wol/041.html#ditchweed99.28% narcotic rope and pheasant habitat. http://www.cannabinoid.com/wwwboard/politics/binaries/29/29412.gif Schaffer Library [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by druid on October 02, 2002 at 10:36:20 PT: I don't get it If they aren't arresting anyone and only issuing citations like a traffic incident then why bother with it at all? Why not just legalize and not worry about the so-called small minority of people they do arrest? They use it to tack on additional charges. I am not in Nevada but I know that in Idaho you are arrested for small small quantities of cannabis. I know 3 or 4 people who were arrested at separate times and did jail time for having under 1/8 oz of weed. I posted bail for 2 of them myself. Anyway I am just soo frustrated with the status quo I really wish there was something I could actively do that would really change things and have meaning and get The Point across to the masses. Once you see The Truth about prohibition and how it is the root of most of the problems concering drugs and the black market and terrorism and all that other BS then there is no sensible argument to be made in refutation. I just wish I had the words and the public speaking ability to really go out there and preach about the evils of prohibition. I am working on it and maybe in 2 or 4 years I will run for some local or regional position on the Libertarian ticket and actively campaign against the WoSD. Woulda Coulda Shoulda. Words don't mean Jack S*** unless there is action behind them. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by krutch on October 02, 2002 at 09:37:50 PT: Any time spent on this is a waste 50 arrests in 6 months is not trivial. Let's not forget the court time spent processing these cases. The domestic crisis excuse is an obivious load. One arrest for possession is too many. When the Nevada police have solved all the unsolved murders,rapes, and burglaries in the state then they can worry about policing the personal lives of the citizens. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo MD on October 02, 2002 at 09:16:19 PT: Twisting the Truth Perhaps statistics never lie, but the data can sure be tortured by prohibitionists that do not like the trend of voter intent! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment