Hey Republicans

[TesticleMilkshake]

??? ???

marijuana is illegal in almost every country. infact, the punishment in some other countries for possession of marijuana is FAR greater than the united states... like... uhhh... the DEATH penalty!

but not in 'merika. possession has been decriminalized in about 17 states (and counting).

i don't use marijuana but i believe anyone and everyone should be able to do whatever they want as long as they are not hurting anyone else and it's in the privacy of their own home (in a perfect society).

also, it's important to add that the dutch court is recognizing a more formal proposition regarding the use of marijuana and tourism.

this isn't just an american prohibition, it's global and it seems like the states are becoming a lot more lenient as time goes on. i'm sure the tug-of-war will go on for years to come but the inevitable is just being postponed... legalization. it will happen.


blegh! sorry, i know that was a mouthful.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_cannabis_by_country (article does need cleaning up)

I agree with everything you just said, but in many countries regarding the POSSESSION of pot is either decriminalized or its legal status is not enforced. And honestly, if cannabis is an indigenous plant, plentifully growing in your backyard and you're in the middle of bumblefuck nowhere, nothing is stopping you from smoking. Hence the marijuana culture in regions of the world where it may be illegal. While I agree, the US overall has definitely gotten more lenient, some regions started to move towards the right regarding marijuana and legal enforcement. NYC is an example of that. For a while, if you were caught smoking a joint on the street and didn't necessarily have a criminal record, you'd be fined (I think like $200), as was the case with one of my ex's. However, over the past 5 years, increasing numbers of people have been arrested and charged with misdemeanors vs the civil citation regardless of whether it is their first offense. This could be due to a number of different factors (administrative changes within the police force, crackdown on "crime" over all, crackdown on petty crime leading to a drop in "violent crime" theory, attempts to busts open bigger drug rings within gangs, mafia, etc.) I believe similar situations are being reported in Boston, NJ, major cities in Penn., etc. mainly locked to the urban East coast. I don't know about down South though. Lastly, I know in the past 6 months, NYPD Commissioner Kelly urged officers to lay off on arresting individuals carrying small amount of marijuana, largely because these people being arrested were a.)Black or Latino and/or b.)coming from low income areas; this lead to accusations of discrimination and racism within the force.

Also, Occupy Wall Street

http://www.theweedstreetjournal.com/new-york-marijuana-laws/

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/24/n...a-possession-charges-require-public-view.html

Also, what countries are listing "death penalty" as a consequence of smoking pot? This is discounting nations that are conservatively Muslim and theocratic.

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

If you're not an upper-middle class (or better) white Christian male and you still vote republican, you've been duped.

This is accurate. There are a lot of 'Merikan Christians out there who truly believe Islam intends to take over 'Merika. There are already too many colored people here, who have watered down the country, in their eyes. These proud Christians should definitely vote Republican if they feel the need to save 'Merika from all these funny looking immigrants that have taken over.

Damn near everyone else should vote Democrat.

 

[timislegend]

...

it is enforced. and a lot of the same places are really cracking down on tourists (hence the dutch/tourists link). unless you live in every country on the planet you can't know the penalties and how every one of them are enforced. but i can assure you... they are enforced.

also, countries that observe capital punishment for possession of marijuana:

almost all of china
south korea
philippines
thailand
vietnam
singapore
indonesia

tons of other smaller countries. and like you said, of course almost every islamic state.

the legal smokers in the united states have very little to complain about nowadays as statutory laws protect them if they follow the rules (for the most part).

i don't know a whole lot about the laws in new york but i can tell you that marijuana has not been officially decriminalized for medicinal use like it has been in california. so i'm sure that every police officer is taking any opportunity to "crack down" on any person using marijuana. i guess it's just a matter of time.

in the case of your ex-girlfriend, i can't say what's yay or nay... but i can say that every case is dealt with differently for every person. also, the reason more people of lower income neighborhoods are getting arrested for marijuana possession might be due to the fact that in new york there are probably more police patrolling more lower income neighborhoods whereas in higher income neighborhoods, the security is privatized. i'll bet if the po-po stepped their game up around greenwich village, they'd probably nab a stoner or two. (which they probably still do... just not as often).

 

[TesticleMilkshake]

it is enforced. and a lot of the same places are really cracking down on tourists (hence the dutch/tourists link). unless you live in every country on the planet you can't know the penalties and how every one of them are enforced. but i can assure you... they are enforced.

also, countries that observe capital punishment for possession of marijuana:

almost all of china
south korea
philippines
thailand ...

Ex-boyfriend actually, I'm quite mannish. Also, all the nations with the exception of South Korea and Singapore are societies that are largely homogenous or have a majority group. If you can afford to vacation in some of these nations and look like a tourist (aka you don't fit in with the majority culture) people will find reasons to arrest you for extoration purposes; they assume you have money and someone cares enough about you to bail you out; unlike the lowly Hmong peasant, whom has no value to general society beyond his family (if he has any or if they even care about him) Tribes and rural areas are often considered out of any legal jurisdiction, usually the family owning the most property makes the rules. Also, I'd like to add that these are transitional societies for the most part. Thailand, Philiphines and Vietnam are still hardcore recovering politically as well as socially from years of civil war, ethnic cleansing, and racism and class politics. Their governments are STILL in flux, therefore no one is overseeing the enforcement of civil rights and less essential laws (which includes drugs) The police are so disgustingly corrupt in these countries, just look at Bestgore to see how they handle homicide investigations (though that's such a legitimate source of info) Indonesia is the only other exception, but that too has a growing Islamic presence. And China is China. As someone who got a BA in East Asian Studies and did 4 years of Mandarin, that shit is fucked up

Lastly, a stoner in Greenwich would probably have the money and social weight to brib a police officer or a higher up. Unfortunately, certain laws are easy to by pass in a society where the all-mighty dollar reigns supreme, though again, I do agree with and understand a lot of what you are saying. /endrant

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

Pelosi blasts crackdown on medical marijuana.

 

[John_C]

drugs are baaad, mmkay?

 

[schust]

If you're not an upper-middle class (or better) white Christian male and you still vote republican, you've been duped.

absolutely. this accounts for about 90% of all my frustration/confusion in life these days. sad. i honestly believe people that fall into this group never learned how to perform critical thinking. they choose to swallow whatever Pastor "let me tell you something very important while i'm on the pulpit and bugger your 10yr old son behind your back" says on Sunday - or whatever dad, mom or grandpa use to say MUST be right.

true positive change in the United States is at a complete standstill and will be until more people start thinking for themselves AND THEN TAKE THAT THINKING AND VOTE! imo, our political system is a complete joke right now.

 

[ManFromMars]

also, countries that observe capital punishment for possession of marijuana:

almost all of china
south korea
philippines
thailand
vietnam
singapore
indonesia

Howdy. South Korea does not use capital punishment for posession or use of marijuana (SK hasn't executed anyone for >10 years, though there are still inmates on death row I think). The Phillipines abolished the death penalty in 2006. Can't comment on the rest of them. They all have ridiculously draconian drugs laws as I understand it though, indeed.

As you were.