Posted on 05/28/2021 7:28:49 AM PDT by NobleFree
A bid to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana for recreational use moved one step away from the governor’s desk Tuesday, after a Senate committee narrowly agreed to send the proposal to the full Senate for debate.
The proposal by Democratic Rep. Cedric Glover, of Shreveport, would make possession of up to 14 grams of marijuana — a half-ounce — a misdemeanor carrying a fine up to $100, even for repeat offenses, and end the possibility of jail time.
“Possession of small amounts of marijuana should not lead you to jail, and it should not lead you to becoming a felon,” Glover said.
A Senate judiciary committee voted 3-2 for the measure. The proposal already won bipartisan House support in a 67-25 vote. If the full Senate agrees to the measure without any changes, the bill would head to Gov. John Bel Edwards, who has indicated he’d sign it into law.
Supporters say ending jail time for possession of small amounts of cannabis will stop clogging up the state’s criminal justice system with people arrested for minor offenses and focus police efforts on other criminal activity.
The only person to speak against the proposal Tuesday was Will Hall, with the Louisiana Baptist Convention. He said frequent use of marijuana is damaging to the brain.
A separate effort aimed at legalizing recreational marijuana failed in the House, ending that debate for the session and focusing attention on Glover’s decriminalization proposal.
Voting for Glover’s bill were Sens. Regina Barrow, a Baton Rouge Democrat; Rick Ward, a Port Allen Republican; and Franklin Foil, a Baton Rouge Republican who chairs the committee. Voting against it were Sens. Mark Abraham, a Lake Charles Republican, and Beth Mizell, a Franklinton Republican.
What could go wrong?
Is that amount of Weed that much different from Beer, Wine, Scotch, Gin, etc, etc, etc, which are all advertised on TV and taxed by the Local, State and Federal Government?
This is one where I think the Libertarians have been correct on for a long time.
True, to which I would add a likely beignet shortage.
The only thing that makes weed "worse" is that it was the preferred intoxicant of hippies. In the minds of some, that seemingly justifies continuing to put weed profits in the hands of violent criminals (with all the ills that follow) by making the market illegal.
Thank you for posting.
“Mardi Gras and legal marijuana.”
For all practical purposes, marijuana has been legal at New Orleans Mardi Gras for at least 50 years.
And more drive by shootings because someone dissed someone
Here's the one pratical difference: law-abiding businessmen have been closed out of the market, giving a monopoly to criminals, who use the inflated profits for harmful ends.
Nonsense - I smoked it for several years in my youth and never once shot someone for dissing me. I'l bet malt liquor is at least as involved in such crimes as marijuana.
The massive increase in schizophrenic young homeless men on Seattle’s streets after legalization are a warning nobody is heeding.
Washington tested legalization. It failed. Beware.
NobleFree: I don’t smoke anything, I hate being around it. But I have to also say alcohol related deaths through excessive drinking (etc, Liver, kidney related) I think are around 95k per year and the reduction of life expectancy is < 30 years than the population average.
So I don’t think in terms of life, costs to the Health care system it is worse than weed. US State and Federal health officials estimate that there are about 38 million regular weed smokers in the USA and there is no evidence that I have seen that indicates excessive use of Weed results in the death rates of alcohol.
So to me it makes sense to not make felons of these 38 million weed users. Let the Police go after the violent gang bangers in the big cities and the more serious drugs like Heroin, Cocaine, etc.
Don’t worry- much more damage will be done by alcohol. Any pot there will be harmless
But do you think that has to do with the Mayors office in cities like Seattle along with Portland and the restrictions put on Police for arresting people who smoke weed and rather than chill out become street vagrants and then the Police are not allowed to get those people off the street into Shelters, etc because doing so would cause the left wing nuts to start destroying public and private buildings.
Link?
Few if any things are "harmless." The question is: what sorts of harm are the proper business of government - and the corollary that if the harms associated with marijuana justify its illegality, is the same not true of alcohol?
https://www.drugrehab.com/addiction/drugs/marijuana/schizophrenia/
“Frequent cannabis use is associated with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, according to multiple reports. Marijuana users with a history of psychiatric disorders or with certain genes have an increased risk for developing schizophrenia.”
“The link between marijuana and psychosis goes beyond a short-lived high. If you already have schizophrenia and use the drug, your symptoms may get worse. You may have more psychotic episodes and spend more time in the hospital.
Researchers also have found that if you carry certain types of specific genes that affect brain chemistry, marijuana use can raise the chance you’ll have schizophrenia”
https://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/schizophrenia-marijuana-link
Association is not causation.
Marijuana users with a history of psychiatric disorders or with certain genes have an increased risk for developing schizophrenia.
And people with peanut allergies are at increased risk from eating peanuts; is the proper conclusion that peanuts should be banned for all?
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