MARIJUANA ARRESTS
Here’s a look at the top national parks, recreation areas and monuments for marijuana busts from Jan. 1, 2009, to July 31, 2013, according to data provided by the U.S. Courts Central Violations Bureau.
Yosemite National Park, CA: 939
Golden Gate National Recreation Area, CA: 902
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, MO: 847
Great Smoky Mountain National Park, TN/NC: 724
Ozark National Scenic Riverways, MO: 474
Gateway National Recreation Area, NY/NJ: 313
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ: 257
Buffalo National River, AR: 252
Lake Mead National Recreation Area, NV/AZ: 234
Yellowstone National Park, WY: 230
Cape Cod National Seashore, MA: 206
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, CA: 203
Sequoia and King Canyon National Park, CA: 173
Mammoth Cave National Park, KY: 155
Independence National Historic Park, PA: 148
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, GA: 147
Hot Springs National Park, AR: 138
Joshua Tree National Park, CA: 137
Padre Island National Seashore, TX: 120
Shenandoah National Park, VA: 116
— Associated Press
Karen Strand didn’t think she’d get in trouble for having a small container of medical marijuana when she went hiking in Olympic National Park this summer.
President Barack Obama, she remembered, had said the federal government had “bigger fish to fry” than people who follow state marijuana laws, and Washington state had just legalized pot.
But a ranger pulled her over on a remote gravel road, and Strand wound up as one of at least 27,700 people cited for having pot on federal land since 2009, according to an analysis of federal court data. The number of citations is small compared to the hundreds of millions of visitors to national parks, forests and monuments each year.
But it nevertheless illustrates one of the many issues Washington, Colorado and other states face in complying with last month’s Justice Department memo that requires them to address eight federal law enforcement priorities if they want to regulate marijuana. Among those priorities is keeping marijuana use and possession off federal property.
State officials have no plans to license pot gardens or stores on federal land, but beyond that, they say, it’s not clear what they can do to discourage backpackers or campers from bringing a few joints into Rocky Mountain or Mount Rainier National Park.
“It’s not one of the big topics we’ve talked a lot about,” said Jaime Smith, a spokeswoman for Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.
Other concerns on the DOJ’s list include keeping marijuana away from kids and cartels, preventing drugged driving and pot-related gun violence, and keeping unregulated marijuana grows from spoiling federal land.
Thousands of people receive tickets every year charging them with having pot on U.S. property — a federal misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine. The charges typically don’t result in jail time, but often do require at least one court appearance. They are frequently negotiated down to an infraction, akin to a traffic ticket, and a fine of up to a few hundred dollars.
Through the first seven months of this year, at least 146 people had been cited in Washington for having pot on federal land, which makes up nearly one-third of the state. At least 135 had been cited in Colorado. Washington’s figure is slightly below the same period for the past few years, while Colorado’s is roughly on track.
The number of people cited nationally has dropped, from 6,282 in 2009 to 5,772 in 2012, and is on pace to hit about 5,300 this year, according to data from the U.S. Courts Central Violations Bureau. The citations were issued at national parks, seashores, forests, military bases and monuments. There were even 10 tickets issued at the Pentagon.
Officials say the actual numbers are likely greater: Park rangers and other federal agents sometimes simply write on the ticket that the offender had a controlled substance, without specifying the drug.
Defendants say being prosecuted for having tiny amounts of pot on U.S. land — especially in Washington, Colorado and states with medical marijuana laws — belies the administration’s assertions that going after people who comply with state marijuana laws is not a priority. The DOJ first announced that position in a 2009 memo, though the fine print also made clear that pot isn’t welcome on federal property.
Strand, 36, was pulled over for having a broken taillight, and the ranger reported that he could smell fresh pot. She was ticketed for having 2 grams — far less than the ounce, or 28 grams, allowed by Washington’s recreational pot law, or the 24 ounces allowed by the state’s medical marijuana law.
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