1. Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed 2011 budget cut (in millions of dollars) to the University of California system: 500 (Source: California Office of Governor).
2. Estimated value (in millions of dollars) of cannabis plants seized in one August 2010 raid in Merced County: 500 (Source: Merced County Sheriff’s Department).
3. Number of cannabis dispensaries expected to open in Arizona by June, following that state’s legalization of medical marijuana: 125 (Source: Marijuana Policy Project).
4. Value of toll (in cents) that driver Pablo Galeana-Rueda allegedly failed to pay on an Illinois toll road in January, resulting in his car being searched by police: 60 (Source: The Beacon-News).
5. Total amount of cannabis (in pounds) that police allegedly found in Galeana-Rueda’s car: 60 (Source: The Beacon-News).
6. Percentage of epilepsy patients in a Canadian study who said cannabis use reduced the severity of seizures: 24 (Source: University of Alberta).
7. Page in the DEA’s recent position paper on marijuana in which it declares it does not “target sick or dying people” for using medical cannabis: 4 (Source: DEA Position on Marijuana).
8. Page in the same position paper in which the DEA admits to targeting terminally ill cannabis patient Angel Raich for prosecution: 5 (Source: DEA Position on Marijuana).
9. Estimated tax revenue (in millions of dollars) that could be generated every year, should the U.S. legalize and tax cannabis: 778 (Source: Reason Magazine).
10. Total cost (in billions of dollars) to taxpayers of the U.S. war on drugs in 2008: 14.1 (Source: White House Office of Management and Budget).
11. Cost (in thousands of dollars) of the war on drugs every minute to U.S. taxpayers: 26.8 (Source: NORML).
12. Cost (in dollars) of the war on drugs every second to U.S. taxpayers: 446.8 (Source: NORML).
13. Percentage of Americans that used cannabis within one month of being surveyed in 1979: 35.6 (Source: National Household Survey on Drug Abuse).
14. Estimated percentage of Americans with schizophrenia in 1979: 1.1 (Source: National Institute of Mental Health).
15. Percentage of Americans that used cannabis within one month of being surveyed in 2009: 18 (Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health).
16. Estimated percentage of Americans with schizophrenia in 2008: 1.1 (Source: National Institute of Mental Health).
(Compiled by David Burton)
