But my point is that is completely based on the amount involved - not actual intentions, which of course would be very hard to prove. And the amount that the laws have deemed to be at the level of intent to sell are still low enough that it could be for personal consumption. You (& others on here) should really chime in on the FSA thread. We could use your input.
Having been in college during the sixties, I recall vividly all the arguments for the legalization of Marijuana. They were not valid then, nor are they valid now. Many of the people who are in favor of legalizing Marijuana are the ones using it. Use of Marijuana is a crime because it is harmful. It has numerous substances in it that tobacco does not have, and tobacco is harmful enough. Drugs destroy lives. It is just that simple. I have seen it over and over again - first hand. I have dealt with people on a regular basis who have turned their lives over to drug use, and that decision started with Marijuana. You can give me all the theories and statistics you want why it should be made legal, but none of them outweighs the human cost. Sorry CParso, we will just have to disagree on this issue.
Come disagree on FSA then. I'm not going to respond here. The thread is about all sorts of different things involving marijuana, not just about whether it should be legal.
From a strictly legal standpoint, you are right. Intent is based on the amount of the Marijuana. But it is felt that the amount suggests an intent. Intent is often the deciding factor in how someone is charged or whether or not he/she is convicted because it can be so hard to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, and intent the essential element in any criminal proceeding. Because wroten had a relatively small amount, and it is probably his first offense, I fully expect the charge to be dropped to Simple Possession of Marijuana (a misdemeanor). He will likely be placed on misdemeanor probation.
I would offer that the "gateway" theory is largely due to the fact that because people who want to buy marijuana have to go through dealers who very often have access to other drugs. Your example about the cocaine pushers selling weed to open them up to cocaine, for example: If someone is content smoking, and can buy it from a state regulated shop, then they have no reason to associate with dealers of other drugs. They are forced to do this because of prohibition. Ironic. Smoking marijunana alone doesn't make you crave cocaine or anything else. Well, maybe cookie dough and Doritos? As far as the instant intoxication that smoking marijuana produces - that is true. It however is not the type of intoxication that impedes motor skills or dulls the senses. But for that reason you cited is why I only think it should be legal to do it in your home, or if you are not operating a motor vehicle. Just do it like we do with alcohol: if you are drunk in public and being an @$$ you'll get arrested for public intoxication. It should be the same for marijuana. Teenagers repeatedly say that they find it easier to buy weed from drug dealers, who have no qualms about selling it to minors, than they do buying alcohol from state regulated stores who could lose their license at any time. The obvious logical conclusion is that if you don't want kids to smoke weed, regulation, not criminalization is the answer.
So by that logic, why isn't alcohol and tobacco illegal as well? Is it really the role of the government and the courts to prevent people from voluntarily harming themselves? Should someone go to jail because they chose to put something harmful in their body? By that standard, should we make BigMacs illegal? I've always been of the opinion that if as long as someones behavior doesn't hurt or intrude on the rights of anyone else, then it's none of my business.
any way you cook it, it's still a Black eye on the football program. Maybe not a big black eye, but a black eye none the less. These things just happen! Maybe Miles can use Wroten as an example and change some lives! Sometimes you can get alot of positives from a negative!:thumb: :geauxtige
Wow this is becoming a hot topic. You would think that Football Season is over or something :hihi: Arg, that's a depressing thought. Nine months of baseball.
