Possession of an oz or less in Oklahoma has been a $750 ticket for at least 12 years. If you went to court instead of paying the ticket outright the judge usually made it $75. It was misdemeanor predicate offense. So first one was misdemeanor but the second offense became a felony. Decriminalizing it doesn’t really free up money in the prison system because the people already in prison don’t suddenly go free. They broke the law at the time it was illeal, so they stay incarcerated. Unless the governor or president commutes the sentence. As far as lab testing federally NIDA has tested cannabis since Jimmy Carter, a staple Georgian. They only recorded the negative effects of use tho. The other labs are independent and already running for other purposes but already have the equipment. It boils down to two thing in my mind. The same debate that’s raged since the revolution. You can call it federalist v antifedaralist or Dem v rep. How much oversight should the fed have? I don’t think they should be able to tell CA they can’t have weed anymore than they should tell TX they have to allow gay marriage. Each state has its own independant morals and ethics. If you don’t like the laws of your state just move is what I believe. The other issue is money. Planes are allowed because the FAA makes money, tv is allowed because the FCC makes money, alcohol tobacco and firearms because the ATF makes money, they don’t care about democracy and justice in the world they care about DOD tax pull and selling arms to third world countries. If the money they would make from taxing cannabis would outweigh what the DOJ makes in tax pull for incarceration funding then cannabis will be fed legal. The fed doesn’t really care about the people or what they do. They care about what keeps the hamster wheel turning. It is the exact position the founding fathers didn’t want America to be in but when we rely on the honor system, in a world with no honor, then decisions will be based on self interest and not the interest of “We the People” so as usual, situation normal all f***ed up. All that being said if they find a way to tax it and allow it federally then I wouldn’t mind a little oversight as long as it gets our foot in the door.
Preach Mr Deadpool. Preach!
I try not to purp lol but the current state of affairs requires MAXIMUM EFFORT.
I completely agree although the money I was talking about is for future incarceration under my State’s current Zero Tolerance law. And I don’t want to be a refugee in another state, I’d rather stay and fight to change mine.
True. It would free up future funds. I want to say last I saw it cost $75 a day to house an inmate per day and the DOJ pays out $125. So the state pockets $50 everyday per person. That alone has kept the current laws fiscally viable. I wasn’t referencing you specifically moving to another state, I hope you didn’t take offense to that. I applaud people who stay at home and take care of their own. I believe sometimes another state has to set a tone, like Colorado for rec to give data to other states. I think that’s why DEA hasn’t went after the states is because states with legal cannabis are basically doing a focus group that the Fed doesn’t have to fund. So they are getting all the data without the cost. I believe that alone could turn the tide on legal cannabis.
Haha, no offense take.