2019 Report: Drug Crimes Increase in U.S. As Cannabis Crimes Drop

As Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts released a 2019 end of the year report that shows a slight upswing in prosecutions of all drug crimes, with a notably declining number of cannabis cases, many researchers dug deep into these numbers to verify the validity of such. “Drug crime defendants, who accounted for 28 percent of total filings, grew five percent, although defendants accused of crimes associated with marijuana decreased 28 percent” in district courts, Roberts reported in multiple interviews. Although Robert's didn't speculate regarding why there was this large decrease in federal cannabis cases, the theory that state legalization decreasing the federal position of incarceration are easily proven to be factual.

"It's a victory for all of us" stated Marshall Kline who served 9 years in a California prison on federal charges of cultivating and distributing cannabis, "It wasn't easy being around hardened criminals knowing all I did was grow some weed, it was about making the most of nature and helping people just as much as it was about making some money. The government makes us targets because they want to take the focus off the real criminals peddling pills to people that know no better." Marshall went on to explain his case "I started out small you know, just a few plants. I had a friend ask me to grow on his land so I did, that was over 100 plants. The following year we grew near the National Forest and some plants went over onto federal land – that's how I got the 10 year sentence. I watched as people who did horrible crimes were released on parole while mine was denied."

“The continued decrease in federal criminal charges is correlated both to the increasing number of states that have legalized marijuana possession, manufacturing and distribution, and the evolutionary nature of federal agents recognizing the increasing political liability associated with enforcing prohibition,” Justin Strekal, political director of NORML, told Marijuana Moment in a recent interview, “Given this trajectory, it is time that Congress act to deschedule cannabis and end the failed war on marijuana. Now is the time to direct law enforcement to prosecute individuals who actually harm our society, not otherwise law-abiding pot smokers.”

Without a doubt it's changes in state law that have impacted federal prosecutions, and courts can expect similar declines in the future. When the state laws allow for violations of federal laws it will, without any doubt, decrease the number of federal prosecutions.

Although there's much research to be done in regards to the true statistics of the number of people who have lost their livelihoods to being incarcerated for cannabis, it is promising to see some sort of reparations – even if it's only to reverse charges and wipe the records clean of those who have been put in the position of Marshall. The current cannabis industry fails to recognize that there have been many that went to jail in order to create the cash cow market of today that is allowing others to benefit greatly from the 'time served' of those that stood on the very same ground before them growing the beautiful cannabis plant. The only things that changed are the law and the amount of knowledge about the plant. Other than that what's the difference between the Marshall of the past and the legal grower of today? They both are grow a Schedule one substance – one just 'paid to play' under new 'rules'.

Of course this isn't cannabinoid medicine research related, but at GCRC we're interested in how people are effected by cannabinoid medicine – both before and after harvest!

Thank you,

Mike Robinson, Founder, Global Cannabinoid Research Center