Decriminalization keeps it off of store shelves. It doesn’t make it legal or endorse it.
Those who rub their palms saying they will invite drug tourists to their state and tax the hell out of it are heartily endorsing it.
Decriminalization is a heck of a lot wiser than legalization.
Why not?
Keep people in drug induced hazes by any means. Plenty of bread and circuses and voila !
Instant sheeple, perpetual Statism.
” ... by means of ever more effective methods of mind-manipulation, the democracies will change their nature; the quaint old forms—elections, parliaments, Supreme Courts and all the rest—will remain. The underlying substance will be a new kind of non-violent totalitarianism. All the traditional names, all the hallowed slogans will remain exactly what they were in the good old days. Democracy and freedom will be the theme of every broadcast and editorial—but Democracy and freedom in a strictly Pickwickian sense. Meanwhile the ruling oligarchy and its highly trained elite of soldiers, policemen, thought-manufacturers and mind-manipulators will quietly run the show as they see fit. “
- Aldous Huxley, Brave New World Revisited, published 1958
I hate drugs and druggies, but I became libertarian on that particular issue because of the abuses of our local cops.
-— for the record, I am in NM, home of the double-illegal anal probe cops and doctors without a warrant. Sad to say, this is pretty typical behavior for them.
Is this how we plan to out liberal the democrats this election? First Christie and now Perry are on the anti-war against drugs bandwagon.
So now he’s a libertarian? What the he11 is wrong with my elected officials in Texas? Who paid him to change his stance?
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Hold on now. See my tagline. I HATE libertarians. And ask anybody; I’m as big a pro-WOD drug warrior as they come.
But there is a difference between legalization and decriminalization.
Rick Perry had his faults. But this ain’t one of them.
I agree with him. Putting minor users of marijuana in jail does no good. They get out and do it again and we had to pay for their upkeep in jail or prison. Someone caught isn’t let go, he/she is arrested and will go to a court to determine how to help the person kick the habit, rehab/counseling, etc.. Paying millions of dollars for prisoner upkeep of people who smoked some marijuana is a waste of money.
Drug sellers would not be a part of this group - drug sellers would still go to prison.
It appears the name Perry, has moved onto the new “HIT LIST” on the Obama/Clinton, smear campaign witch hunt.. Trolls aren’t decriminalized on FR, FYI.. jus sayin
As a former soldier in the WOD I have always felt that it should be a summons type offense for simple possession under a certain amount. If you have a larger amount it is obvious you are dealing and should have the hammer dropped. Legalization is just stupid however.
/johnny
Texas? Going blue I see.
That will make some Texas heads explode!
I bet some will think Rick is soft on drugs because of a post-surgery addiction. /S
But, I think it’s the right thing to do.
America 2014. Dopehead nation. Homosex nation.
The flag should really replace its stars-and-stripes in favor of one with marijuana leaves and anuses.
I don't.
Fifteen years ago I heard a lecturer say that in a generation we would wonder why it was ever illegal in the first place.
Rehabilitation is good, and many places have already decriminalized possession of small amounts that were obviously not meant for sale.
I think marijuana is greatly underestimated as a dangerous drug and from personal experience, that is, what I saw among my high school friends and among those of my kids, there is no way it should be legalized. This is without really discussing the long term effects: I saw smart or average kids who were heavy users literally turn into spaced out losers who watched Scooby Doo all day. And it wasn’t funny or cute.
I know Obama wants it legalized because a stoned population is a docile population (plus, maybe his peculiar behavior is the result of the effects of pot on his Choom Gang brain?).
But Perry wants rehabilitation for people picked up with pot for personal use, and I think that’s a good thing.
Which big pharma company paid him to say that?
I represent a client charged in the following circumstances:
He’s just graduated from college, but he and his roommates didn’t quite realize the rules were different now. They were a little loud and boisterous in their apartment, and the neighbor called the cops. The cop smelled marijauna when he came to the door, told them to quiet down and get rid of the weed. The cop didn’t intend to do anything, but told his superiors, who contacted the local Drug Task Force/stormtrooper squad. They ran the dog past the door to the apartment, got a search warrant, and all eight of them stormed the place. They found a gram of marijuana in my client’s room, nine grams in a roommate’s room. Nothing else. No evidence they were selling weed; just small amounts for personal use.
All three guys arrested and CHARGED with a Felony for Maintaining a Common Nuisance. None of the guys have any record for anything.
Yep; a FELONY for a gram of pot in the bedroom.
I think it’s time to decriminalize pot just because of situations like this.