Since we have been informed that preclearance creates a gap in Customs' interdiction process, reason dictates that the procedure be eliminated in the interest of tighter control. As noted earlier, one of the greatest needs in the entire drug area is uniformity of state laws with regard to structure and penalties. While this recommendation applies to all drugs and not just marihuana, we feel it essential to make this recommendation now to help deemphasize the marihuana problem. Significant differences in penalties among the states constitute a valid source of irritation and conflict among various segments of our population. In an age of high mobility, it is unconscionable that penalties should vary so greatly in response, to the same behavior.
Several states have systems for maintaining records of drug arrests on a statewide basis.
Accurate reporting and compilation of these cases permit the state to assess accurately the impact of law enforcement on drug offenders. The Law Enforcement Assistance Administration of the Department of Justice should assist the states to establish compulsory statistical reporting centers so that individual state needs are met and a clearer picture of the national trends can be, ascertained. Efficient state record-keeping will have an additional benefit of increasing the reliability of the Uniform Crime Reports compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. No common pattern emerges among these states. California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico.