Over half the stoners in the United States currently undergoing a treatment program for marijuana addiction are there under court order and not their own volition, according to a new federal study.

It seems that while weed’s opposing forces often cite increasing addiction rates for the substance as a reason to maintain prohibition, the primary reason rehab facilities are full of “pot junkies” is because states, including Michigan, are offering pot offenders two options: rehab or jail.

“In breaking down the numbers, it appears as though reefer rehab is mostly being offered as an alternative to incarceration. The report shows that over 44 percent of the people currently sitting in a 12-step or Marijuana Anonymous program are there based solely on a recommendation from their probation or parole officer. The courts are responsible for another 16 percent of the referrals, while more than 2 percent are handed down by the prison system.”

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