The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has not released its 2024 data on marijuana seizures and arrests conducted through the Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program (DCE/SP), leaving a significant gap in federal drug enforcement reporting.
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Launched in 1979 to support cannabis eradication efforts in Hawaii and California, the DCE/SP has since expanded nationwide. Annual reports summarizing its activities are archived on the DEA’s website, covering the years 2011 through 2022. However, the most recent report, released in May 2023, has not been updated with 2024 figures.
Historical data indicate a nearly 33% decline in marijuana crop seizures between 2011 and 2020, followed by increases in 2021 and 2022. Arrests by federal agents mirrored this trend, dropping from 8,501 in 2011 to under 5,000 by 2020, before rebounding in subsequent years.
Paul Armentano, Deputy Director of NORML, criticized the agency’s lack of transparency.
“At a time when voters and lawmakers are reconsidering marijuana policies, it’s unacceptable for government agencies to withhold data on the costs and scope of federal marijuana prohibition in the U.S.,” Armentano said.
Despite ongoing debates over cannabis reform, the DEA has not provided an explanation for the missing report or indicated when updated information might be made available.
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