Reptile & Amphibian Forums

why someone only has to spend three years in jail for killing a person while driving under the influence of alcohal, but will spend 20 years in jail for sitting in ones own house with X amount of pot?

MissHisssss

But how much is X amount of pot? 20 tons?

Most people get off with very little punishment, if it is only an amount that they would personally use. (unless it is the nth offense) In fact, a lot of police departments today instruct their officers to place pot enforcement at the lowest priority.

Can you refer me to a case where someone got 20 years for some pot in their home, and weren't eligible for parole much, much sooner?

As for drinking and driving, it has a lot to do with the fact that drinking is legal, as is the possession of alcohol, while pot is not. --And the decision to drive drunk is made after the person is drunk. In other words, drinking is a legal activity that precedes an illegal activity (after ones judgment is impaired) vs. an activity that is illegal to start with. Few sober people think drunk driving is OK, but once they drink, their decision making ability is impaired and that is when they decide to get behind the wheel.

It's a lot easier to have sympathy for someone who got into trouble by initially doing a legal activity, than someone who got into trouble initially doing an illegal activity.

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Now here's a philosophical/legal question for ya. If someone's ability to make decisions is impaired by legal drinking, they then smoke pot, they then drive and kill someone. Would they then be tried like a normal drinking and driving case or an illegal drug case?

Rodney

When the "grand experiment" of Prohibition was enacted in the 20's America became aware of two things. The first was that the public would not tollerate that much government control over their vices. The second (and more important) that the business of Alcohol and the support industries that go with it make a lot of TAX dollars and (from the farmers to the brewers to the delivery and sales people) counted for a lot of jobs. That is why prohibition was repealed.

Pot however, is usually grown at home and therefore not as controlable substance, which translates into less taxes for the government, and fewer jobs in distribution and production. Plus it would compete with Alcohol and thus reduce revenue.

That makes it an unprofitable commodity...which the government has every reason to discourage.

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

That's what irritates many people (myself included). If some fat bureaucratic oinker can't line his pockets and/or funds and accounts, it must be bad. I'm not pro OR anti drug, but from my experience, alcohol is a more dangerous "drug" than marijuana. One is legal one isn't. It's an old, tired argument and subject. The fact is this: You cannot convince a bureaucrat of ANYTHING he or she doesn't want to believe. I work in a system of them, so I know first hand. Laziest, nastiest pig headed idiots I've ever encountered. I hate 'em with a passion. The job pays well, so I keep my mouth shut. I will never become like them, and will do what I can to bring some sense to them (it's a lost cause).
Thanes Place

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Thane

Yeah, its ridiculous. Alcohol and tobacco are the 2 things that cause the most problems in the US. But with the BIG companies of alchol and tobacco, pot will never be legalized, unless it benefits them somehow. I laugh everytime that stupid phillip morris commercial comes on. Is there ANY other company whos commercial tells you to STOP using their product. And they still rake it in. I gots to get me a racket like that.
Only thing I can think of concerning the original post is how much pot they had, or if it was a 3 strikes type of deal, which is still stupid depending on the crime. You should definitely spend at least a day longer for murder than posession.

EP
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Occupants not paying rent:
7 balls
2.1.10 corns(candy cane, creamsicle, ghost, 6 normal, 4 anery )
1 pueblan milk
1 everglades rat
1 cal. king
1 gray band king
1 w. hognose
1 bearded dragon
1 fish
1 mouse
3.3 cats

I was told many years ago that if you get caught with so much as a seed of pot that you can go to jail for 20 years without parole because it is federal. And yeah, that's probably not true now, or then, but I do remember all my friends houses being raided in Vermont back in the early 70's and being busted for a joint. But back to the present... I've still heard of people going to jail for a lot longer time for possessing pot, or robbing someone, than the three lousy years someone I knew spent in jail for killing an innocent person while drinking and driving. It just doesn't make sense.

And I agree with what everyone said... and still, it just doesn't seem right that we can't even have/grow/buy/use a natural herb/plant if we choose... but we can kill ourselves (and others) with booze and cigarettes just because money can be made of it? God put me on this earth, and pot on this earth... so what gives anyone the right to tell me I can't use it? I used to, but don't anymore because I'm allergic... but I don't like being told I can't.

I think that people should have the right to do as they please with themselves, as long as it doesn't hurt others. Like with seatbelts. Now don't get me wrong. I can see them giving tickets to people if they don't buckle up their voiceless children, but giving tickets to adults is another matter. I'm old enough to make my own decissions about what happens to me. So, here's another question. Why is it that parents will get a ticket if they don't buckle up their kids, and yet these same kids can get on a school buses and not have a buckle to buckle up with? But don't get me started.

All I was doing with this post was letting off some steam. There are so many things happening that we have no control over even when we know that what's happening doesn't make sense, or it's just down right wrong. Thanks for letting me vent... and also for your comments. It's good to know that others are frustrated too.

MissHisssss

a guy I used to go to college with was arrested last year or the year before for manufacturing pot. I happened to run into him few a weeks ago while visiting some friends and he said he was only given probation. Seems pretty lucky if you ask me. I dont know any details about the situation so I cant say exactly what the charges were other than manufacturing.

EP
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Occupants not paying rent:
7 balls
2.1.10 corns(candy cane, creamsicle, ghost, 6 normal, 4 anery )
1 pueblan milk
1 everglades rat
1 cal. king
1 gray band king
1 w. hognose
1 bearded dragon
1 fish
1 mouse
3.3 cats

>>I think that people should have the right to do as they please with themselves, as long as it doesn't hurt others. Like with seatbelts. Now don't get me wrong. I can see them giving tickets to people if they don't buckle up their voiceless children, but giving tickets to adults is another matter. I'm old enough to make my own decissions about what happens to me. So, here's another question. Why is it that parents will get a ticket if they don't buckle up their kids, and yet these same kids can get on a school buses and not have a buckle to buckle up with? But don't get me started.
>>

The seatbelt issue is exactly like the pot issue: if it costs the government money, they want to make it illegal. The dollar cost to the government of having a person killed or severely injured in a car accident (medical costs, Social Security, loss of another productive taxpayer) outweighs any considerations of personal liberty.

You don't think the bureaucrats actually give a rat's *ss about your safety from simply a humanitarian standpoint, do you?
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Chris

1.0.1 Coleonyx variegatus
1.0.0 Gekko vittatus
1.0.0 Eublepharis macularius
0.0.2 Rhacodactylus ciliatus

Terrestrial? Who you calling terrestrial?!!