Medical marijuana grower busts - an ongoing saga

[tvashtarkatena]

A law abiding citizen faces life in prison

[KaskadskyjKozak]

"While Jerry Sandusky got a 30-year minimum sentence for raping young boys, Mr. Williams is looking at a mandatory minimum of more than 80 years for marijuana charges and for possessing firearms during a drug-trafficking offense. "

 

That about sums up how disgraceful and idiotic this is.

[tvashtarkatena]

The guy's a single dad. The son goes to foster care if he goes to prison. He obeyed state law in letter and spirit.

 

I'd like to hear anyone who supports the War on Drugs explain why this is a better outcome for anyone.

Edited November 8, 2012 by tvashtarkatena

[AlpineK]

Brutal

[ivan]

so why won't this happen in washington again when we open our weed stores next year?

[tvashtarkatena]

It could. We have to continue to pressure the feds to amend the Controlled Substances Act. Hey, its a fight, no doubt about it.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

so why won't this happen in washington again when we open our weed stores next year?

 

States' rights!!

[AlpineK]

Maybe it will happen again, but I think the election results with multiple states voting for legalization will push things over a critical edge.

[tvashtarkatena]

That's definitely what we're hoping for.

 

Politically, I just don't see the mileage in these busts.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

 

Politically, I just don't see the mileage in these busts.

 

Show me one average person (not in law enforcement) that cheers these busts and thinks they are a great idea.

[rob]

 

Politically, I just don't see the mileage in these busts.

 

Show me one average person (not in law enforcement) that cheers these busts and thinks they are a great idea.

 

I don't know what "average" means, but I know an "average" middle-aged computer programmer and republican family-man that believes people caught growing marijuana should be executed.

 

It's insane.

[genepires]

 

Politically, I just don't see the mileage in these busts.

 

Show me one average person (not in law enforcement) that cheers these busts and thinks they are a great idea.

 

I have asked 4 police officers about their thoughts on the legal weed bill before it was passed and they all said they were glad to not have to bother with busting pot heads. They only arrested for possession when it was convienent to get someone off the street. Granted it was a survey of 4.

 

[genepires]

I have met more resistance to the legalization from church going country folk who think it is a gateway drug.

[ivan]

 

I don't know what "average" means, but I know an "average" middle-aged computer programmer and republican family-man that believes people caught growing marijuana should be executed.

 

It's insane.

x30 at the high school level

[KaskadskyjKozak]

 

I don't know what "average" means, but I know an "average" middle-aged computer programmer and republican family-man that believes people caught growing marijuana should be executed.

 

It's insane.

 

Sandusky should be executed... by anal electrocution.

 

A pot-grower? WTF.

 

[Off_White]

I noticed some silly NYT commenter quipped, "should have kept the guns out of it." Who in Montana doesn't own a gun?

[KaskadskyjKozak]

 

Nobody's life deserves to be ruined for growing a few plants. There's so many more important things going on in the world.

[rob]

But it's the devil's weed!!!!!

[ivan]

But it's the devil's weed!!!!!

that actually would be la yerba del diablo, jimson's weed, which perhaps ought be illegal given how fucked it makes you (and for how long, and how terribly!) - the fact that it grows wild and vociferously all over the southeast, like kudzo, would make it a bit of a bitch to eradicate though

[Jim]

They should have kept the state liquor stores around a while longer and we would have had and easier weed transition. And what will the Feds do now with wayward WA and CO?

[tvashtarkatena]

Selling weed in state liquor stores would not have been good policy, as it would have forced state employees to handle weed - meeting the Controlled Substances Act's definition of an illegal 'positive confict'. This would have opened up WA state for a federal lawsuit. I 502 does not require anyone to do anything, so there is no positive conflict. This greatly weakens the feds ability to sue and win.

 

The feds could still raid grow ops and such, of course. That could result in a WA suing them. I've made inquiries into that kind of scenario unto the 502 gods, so perhaps I'll have more on that soon.

[rob]

Exciting times, though. I thought we were at least 10 years away from this. Other states will follow suit and the fed will give in. I read that south American countries are watching wa and co to see what happens, since many small south american countries they have an interest in legalizing pot, too, since they have huge criminal problems stemming from illegal marijuana production.

 

Seattle times article

 

It sounds like the US signed at least one treaty with other countries that banned marijuana (among other things), how will the fed get around that? Amend the treaty? Abandon it?

[tvashtarkatena]

There are a few treaty hurtles for reform minded nations:

 

Da wiki

 

Its a bit of a clusterfuck.

 

Ironically, the US may now be the first nation to violate some of these international conventions.

 

I do love the 'fear of drug tourism' stories. More tourist money would be a bad thing how, exactly?

 

Politically, I would argue CO has the advantage, being a swing state. Their less strict pot law may also prove to be more, or less popular, with the electorate, depending on how it all goes down. I would expect...not much will change. Americans already consume an estimated 14 million pounds of pot annually. White Dreadlocks will (hopefully) not become more popular.

 

Mexico, especially, is expressing great interest in what's going down in WA and CO. They know that what they've got going on now isn't working out too well.

Edited November 9, 2012 by tvashtarkatena

[pink]

tvash you used to be so anti-weed i can see ivan has used his jedi mind tricks on you.... you'll be spearheading the tea party before ya know it

 

[KaskadskyjKozak]

They should have kept the state liquor stores around a while longer and we would have had and easier weed transition. And what will the Feds do now with wayward WA and CO?

 

But then we couldn't buy weed at Costco.