The Virginian-Pilot
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Gloucester Republican Del. Harvey Morgan thinks some of Virginia's marijuana laws should go up in smoke.
Morgan, a pharmacist by trade, has filed one bill that would make possession of small amounts of the drug a civil offense that carries a $500 fine rather than a crime.
The legislation, HB1134, also would increase the amount of marijuana a person can possess for personal use without being considered a drug dealer.
Another measure being carried by Morgan, HB1136, would allow doctors to prescribe, and pharmacists to dispense, medical marijuana for a greater number of maladies. In Virginia, it can be prescribed only to treat cancer or glaucoma.
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A Level Headed Approach
Del. Harvey's proposal is an excellent suggestion. The heavy hand with which we have treated petty drug offenses perpetuates class stratification. We have made hardened criminals out of the urban and suburban youth and young adults for offenses that, committed by priviledged youth would often go unprosecuted (or unpursued).
The laws making marijuana illegal were reactionary, as were the mandatory sentences for what should have been petty drug offenses. It is time Virginia and the nation reconsidered its approach to drug laws, especially with respect to marijuana. In this case there is medical benefit, little possible harm to society, and existing legislation protecting us from public intoxication.
I hope our legislature can overcome the stigma we have assign to marijuana and give this Bill honest consideration.
Write your congressman
Put down the bong, write your congressman, and tell him to legalize it. The "War On Drugs" has failed. Game over man!
Now legal in NJ.
Now legal in NJ.
Are you serious?
You folks that elected this idiot are getting what you deserve --- stupidity in action!
As For Stupidity...
...why don't you think of what 3-5 billion dollars in pot revenues and/or taxes would do for Portsmouth, Norfolk and other municipalities.
How about hiring teachers to NOT cheat!
How about hiring more fire department!
How about hiring more police officers!
How about fixing our infrastructure-roads, bridges etc..
How about hiring more immigration officials to arrest and deport illegal immigrants-one already killed my friends daughter! He was driving drunk if I remember correctly?...and slipped thru the cracks in the court system not once but on 3 different occasions here in HR!
The next generation is in debt to the tune of 1.4 TRILLION dollars-thanks to Washington politicos and you nor I can fix it!
Legalize pot, then tax it! Make it work for the citizens!
OldCopper...?
Bravo for you, your wife and children for not smoking,drinking alcohol or taking any prescription drugs.
"Alcohol didn't cause the high crime rates of the '20s and '30s, Prohibition did. And drugs do not cause today's alarming crime rates, but drug prohibition does".
~ US District Judge James C. Paine, addressing the Federal Bar Association in Miami, November, 1991
"Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation and makes crimes out of things that are not crimes. A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded".
~ Abraham Lincoln
Close to what it should be
It shouldn't be a crime at all to possess a limited amount for personal use. But if you are under the influence in public and behaving badly, alcohol related laws should apply. Drunk(intoxicated) in public.
Our jails should be for those who cannot behave in public or put the public at risk (especially dui's). If you sell any drugs to kids you should be in jail too. Repeat dui's would not happen so frequently if those offenders were prohibited from buying alcohol for at least 1 year. Have our pictured id's scanable.
Changing the law here is all well and good but
Federal laws take precidence ove state and local. Good luck getting Congress on board. They are still hung up on Roe verses Wade after 37 years. I doubt they are up to Cheek and Chong.
the proposed penalty
I have no strong feelings about the small quantity being a civil rather than criminal penalty. I do have an opinion about the civil penalty being a $500.00 fine. I would suggest it be 500 (or some other number)hours of community service. Just as those with money can current afford lawyers who can often get charges dismissed, those same individuals can easily pay while those without money may end up in jail for contempt of court for inability to pay the $500.00. You may still tie up overworked public defenders on those cases and perpetuate the inequitable results for those with money versus those without. Those with money can ponder whether giving their time is worth the use as that is not as easy as stroking a check.
The only issue I see with a
The only issue I see with a community service option is that much more revenue lost on hiring the folks to ensure that these people are assigned to, to ensure that their CS is completed satisfactorily. With a fine, you either pay it or you dont. If you pay it then you only have to hire someone to count the beans (which we already have in place)
Failing to pay the fine or do your CS would result in the same punishment as it does now for other violations.