Number of Pot Possession Arrests Getting Higher

Hey, remember back in 2003 when marijuana was all but legal and Canada didn't disintegrate? So much for that.

Buried in last week's not-surprising-at-all news that crime rates across Canada are at the lowest point in the nearly 40 years was the fact that arrests for marijuana possession jumped 14 per cent between 2009-2010. The Statistics Canada numbers indicate there were more than 58,000 arrests for possession in 2010, in addition to more than 18,000 arrests for marijuana trafficking, a 10-per-cent increase from the year before. Granted, these are just arrests, not convictions, but they do suggest that police are taking a harder line than in years previous for simple possession of a drug that has about as many negative side effects as a bag of Cheetos. That, or maybe Canadians are just getting far more flagrant with their (nearly world-leading) pot use.