"most people in prison for marijuana are violent criminals, repeat offenders, traffickers or all of the above."
Begs the question. By definition, if you're in prison then you're a felon. You don't get sent to prison for civil offenses or misdemeanors.
Possession of a small amount, usually less than an ounce, usually gets a civil penalty or treated as a misdemeanor, but possession of more than an ounce is treated as possession with intent to distribute, PWIT, aka trafficking, and treated as a felony. So a gram or two, a few stems or seeds, can make all the difference in the world.
In other words, they say "if you possess more than an ounce of marijuana you're a drug trafficker," e.g., if your dealer gives you a heavy bag because he likes you, that makes you a felon.
Notice that this is an entirely different crime than what we normally think of as trafficking, and certainly different from being a violent criminal or a repeat offender.
It's really crazy to see good kids go to prison under mandatory sentencing for possession of smallish amounts of marijuana. Sure, most of them probably were dealing. But it's marijuana we're talking about. The last two Presidents smoked it, and one recent Vice President, and so did their wives.
All this recent talk about dope has made me crave a joint. My rheumatoid arthritis has flared up again, and I am back on opiates. Heck, if they can regulate opiates, why not marijuana? |
