Lothar121

Mayor Candidates Clash On Marijuana
Gregory Korte | Cincinnati Enquirer | 10/07/2005

An exchange over marijuana laws punctuated a question-and-answer session with Seven Hills Upper School students this morning, as state Sen. Mark L. Mallory and Councilman David Pepper continued their relentless campaigning for mayor.

Jessalyn Reid, a sophomore from Hyde Park, asked Pepper about his proposal – since abandoned – to increase the penalties for marijuana possession.

“We have become the place in the entire region where drugs are dealt,” said Pepper, singling out Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine as the region’s worst “open-air drug market.” And in 80 percent of drug arrests in Over-the-Rhine, Pepper said, neither the buyer nor the seller are from the neighborhood.

“They can have an enormous amount of drugs and only get a ticket,” Pepper said. “If you do in San Diego what you do in Cincinnati, you get in a lot more trouble.”

Mallory said he didn’t understand Pepper’s proposal, which would have resulted in a 90-day sentence for possession of up to 3.5 ounces of marijuana. It’s now a minor misdemeanor, which police call a $100 “weed ticket.”

“I hope you all got an answer out of that, because I certainly did not,” Mallory told the students. “Sometimes you don’t have a lot of experience with things and you don’t know what you’re saying. If you have an ounce of marijuana on you, you’re not considered to be dealing in marijuana.”

“Drug trafficking laws are very different from drug possession laws,” he said, and the focus should be on distribution.

Reid said she didn’t think Pepper did a very good job of answering her question, but conceded that maybe she wasn’t clear in asking it. But she enjoyed the debate. “It brought out a more argumentative side of the candidates, which for the students was fun.”

The tone of the debate began more cordially than usual. Mallory even used the last part of his opening statement to pay Pepper a compliment.

“David Pepper is a bright guy. He’s a very hardworking guy. He’s studious. He’s extremely intelligent. He’s very passionate about the job that he does,” Mallory said. “I will tell you that I am proud to be running with someone of such stellar character. David Pepper is a good man.”

Pepper thanked Mallory for his kind words, but didn’t repay the favor.
“Maybe I was too much of a student in school. As I said from the beginning, I think it matters that a candidate who has been running for a year lay out a plan of exactly what they’re going to do,” Pepper said. “Go to electmallory.com. I you find a jobs plan, please forward it to me. If you find a youth plan, please forward it to me.”

Mallory agreed that the defining issue in the campaign was leadership, but said he had a different style than Pepper does.

“My opponent is not always aware of everything that goes on. It’s not his fault necessarily. What happens is, you get into your own groove,” Mallory said. “He doesn’t know that I was holding town hall meetings when he was hanging out in Russia. He doesn’t understand why it’s so important to have 10 years of experience.”

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nerphroll

But why target marijuana? I'd bet that a good portion of those drug deals do not involve marijuana. Maybe it's because mj is the sole drug that's NOT punished as harshly as other drugs that would be sold there. Still, dealers sell despite the known harsh penalties for other hard drugs; why would harsher penalties for marijuana change things? And as for possession? 3.5 ounces equals 90 days in prison? Please. Damn that's cold.