Marijuana.com

fight4rights

I think it is pretty stupid to blame someone who enforces rules but have no way to change them. I was a lifeguard who had to enforce some pretty arbitrary rules. When I got asked "why is that a rule" I gave them the reason my superiors said it was a rule. Imagine if I just decided to not enforce the no running rule. Eventually my superiors will catch on and hire someone else who does enforce the rules.

Now imagine a cop who doesn't enforce any type of law dealing with marijuana. How long do you think he will last on the police force if he lets people smuggling kilos of weed across borders? He will probably be fired and some drug war zealot will take his place.

Blaming the police for the laws is like blaming a McDonalds worker for not having a better menu.

__________________
"Those who do no harm to others should not be harmed by others..." Ethan Nadelmann
"Revolution is not a right, it is an obligation." John Locke
"Do SOMETHING besides argue emotions against the law, because it simply isn't a rational way to affect any type of change whatsoever. No offense intended, but your opinion on things is a moot point unless you take actions to change the law, rather than ramble about how unfair or injust it is." troublemaker_42
"'Just say no' to drugs, except those marketed by big pharmaceutical companies." Ignorant Politicians

 

Niteshift

Ok, so you enforce laws that you know are unjust (marijuana laws), then you blame someone else for making the law.

I'm not blaming anyone. I am pointing out where the responsibility lies. I don't see a need for "blame".

Essentially you are saying: "Some of the laws that I enforce are unjust, but I don't care because I didn't make them."

Nope.

I believe that by enforcing, even someone else's, unjust laws you become just as complicit in the injustice at the original person who created the law.

Believe what you like.

Since we are sharing belief's, I'll share mine. I believe that the system has mechanisms to enact change. I believe those mechanisms are to be used. And I believe that more responsibility falls on your shoulders for CHOOSING to break the marijuana laws than falls on mine for upholding the oath I swore when I took my job.

do you really want a system where cops just pick and choose laws based on their personal feelings?

You must hate marijuana in order to sentence someone to 55 years for it

Are you aware that most of the time, judges really don't have much leeway on sentencing? They follow guidelines that are given to them either by other courts or by legislatures. Departing from those guidelines require specific justification and the departure is almost an automatic grounds for appeal.

Congressional types are never pro-legalization because they are so afraid of the backlash from all the soccer moms who have been brainwashed by War on Drugs propaganda.

The flaw in that theory is that statistically, a big percentage of those soccer moms have used an illicit drug at one point or another. So why do you blame propaganda? Couldn't they be making their decision based on their own experience?

Also, if it is someone's job to enforce a law that I consider unjust, then I can and will blame them personally.

i can yell and b*tch at the meter reader about how much my electric bill is, but since he doesn't set the rates, I might as well talk to the wall.

So "**** the police coming straight from the Underground!"

__________________
A burning desire for social justice is never a substitute for knowing what you're talking about. -Thomas Sowell

Sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel is muzzle flash.

nacrypt

It's a little different to have some silly rules at your pool than it is to put someone in prison for 55 years. A sentence like that is simply in-human.

The blame for such twisted policy must be placed somewhere. The police, judges and congress-people all deserve their share of the blame.

The prohibition of marijuana is just a modern form of racism and classism. Since minorities and poor people end up serving the sentences at a disproportionate rate.

Anyone who believes in freedom and justice must hold the government accountable at every level for its backwards policy about marijuana.

usmellthat

don't put to much blame on the cops. i know of several cops that smoke, some on special ocasion and some on a daily basis. of the cops that i know that smoke none of them have arrested anyone for possesion except in the case of large scale busts that are forced upon them by the department that they really feel bad about after, but they can't afford to lose their jobs gotta put food on the table some how.

this country's legislative system on the other hand is a bit assanine in that they don't legalize it first of all they waste way to much money on enforcement and if they were to legalize and tax it they could solve a huge amount of debt issues.

nacrypt

Thanks for a great post! Shows that the police do treat the law subjectively.

Yes, the legislatures of our country are way behind the times when it comes to marijuana. What bothers me is that they refuse to take a hint from the citizens on the issue.

Besides the DEA, a few religious nuts and over-zealous parents groups, who is really against the legalization of marijuana?

I know a lot of people personally who are for it, and not all of them smoke (some never have). Obviously, the users themselves support legalization.

 

Niteshift

Thanks for a great post! Shows that the police do treat the law subjectively.

Yeah, the "several cops" he knows represent a significant percentage of the nearly 1 million LEO's in the US.

What bothers me is that they refuse to take a hint from the citizens on the issue.

Maybe you should stop hinting and start doing what they understand........vote in very large numbers.


Obviously, the users themselves support legalization.

To be accurate, not all users support it.

happyhigh_420

I agree, don't blame the police, THEY ARE JUST DOING THEIR JOB!!!! What I don't understand is Y police and judges are so hard on pot smokers when most of them are reformed smokers or closet smokers themselves?!?!?!?!? I also don't understand Y politicians treat mari as if she were an aggressive drug? If all the politicians and world leaders were pot smokers, WE WOULD NEVER HAVE WAR!!!!!!!!!! Contrary to the commercials u c on T.V., I've never known anyone to get stoned and run someone over with their car or broadside a family cuz they were too stoned!! Maybe we should focus on our country's real problems!!!!!!

happyhigh_420

Cigarrettes started with just a leaf, now look how deadly it is!!!!!!! If they legalize, where do our rights go?! How do they know that our houseplants aren't providing an incredible high????????????????

troublemaker_42

You're talking COMPLETE nonsense. Where exactly did you come across the info most police, judges, etc are "reformed smokers?" When you can make a statement like that, and actually be able to back it up in some way, maybe people will take you seriously. However, until then, while I agree that legalization is a good idea, I'm going to dismiss that comment totally. AMking such blanket statements, based on no real substance, isn't going to push the legalization movment along in any way. While I'm sure there are judges and police officers that have or DO smoke pot, that doesn't mean they are in any way the majority. So, what did you base that statement on, exactly? or, did you just pull it out of the air and decide it made a good "fact"? Quite simply, I doubt you have the resources or knowledge to back it up, or in essense, its simply a lie or a fairytale....just because you want to believe something doesn't necessarily make it true.

Don't even get me started on "How do they know houreplants don't give an excellent high?" Basically, you posted nonsense.

Buzzby

To be accurate very few users support it. They may whine and b*tch about the marijuana laws but only a tiny percentage actually get up off their stoned asses and make an effort to change the laws.

It really burns me. There are an estimated 14-27 million marijuana users in the US. The three major pro-legalization organizations have a combined membership of around 60,000. Users spend an estimated $40,000,000,000 a year on weed and accouterments. The three major pro-legalization organizations operate on a combined annual budget of around $8,000,000. Millions of those dollars are contributed by two people. By contrast, the government spends $120,000,000 on those stupid TV ads alone. Every year. Marijuana will never be legalized until marijuana users get their sh*t together and do something about it. If users would put 1% of their annual expenditures into the legalization movement, that would be $400,000,000 - fifty times what is being contributed now.

Admonitions to keep on smoking are all well and good. (They contribute to law enforcement budgets by showing that there are more criminals out there to apprehend.) Making moral judgments about people who are carrying out the laws that our elected representatives have passed is a major waste of time. If you want to see fewer people getting busted, put your money (and your time) where your mouth is, join NORML, MPP, and/or DPA, volunteer your services, and send them all you can afford so that they can lobby to change the laws you detest so much.

This is not a war any more than the civil rights movement was a war. It's a campaign to change unjust laws. Such campaigns need volunteer workers and funding. If we won't supply them, who will?

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML)

Marijuana Policy Project (MPP)

Drug Policy Alliance (DPA)

__________________