Decriminalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States and federal prisons and an upwards of 750,000 in local jails for marijuana related crimes. Today there are over 1.5 million Americans serving time in an institution. If marijuana was decriminalized, these numbers were further be reduced again to below 700,000 inmates and save the taxpayers billions of dollars per year. The United States spends an estimated $68 billion per year on prisoners with a third of that number have been incarcerated for non-violent drug crimes including a sixth of those numbers as marijuana drug related offenses. A reduction in the prison population due to decriminalizing marijuana could save an
National Taxpayers Union Americans are able to pursue their dreams without the heavy hand of government holding them back." Together with board chair Rob Solt, and executive vice-president Brandon Arnold, the operations team of the National Taxpayers Union work towards favorable legislative outcomes for America's taxpayers such as less unnecessary government spending, tax reforms and free enterprise. On April 15, 2009 hundreds of thousands of people around the country showed up at Tea Party Protests. They were protesting the new government spending plan proposed by the Obama administration. There was a National Taxpayers Union conference held from June 11–13 in 2009 held in