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Pot advocate gets just a day in jail, but still lectures judge
Ed Rosenthal, who was convicted of growing pot plants for medicinal use, told the federal judge: "I am proud of what I did. I know I have done nothing wrong." Referring to the two juries that convicted him of violating federal drug laws without hearing evidence that the marijuana was intended for medical use, Rosenthal said, "You have now hurt 24 jurors. ... You left them feeling guilty about their unwitting role in these faux trials." (San Francisco Chronicle)
July 9, 2007 | Permalink
Comments
The guy should not be going to jail at all. Pot should be legal and possibly taxed just like booze znd cigs. It is no worse than drinking. The tite a-holes in the government would ok it if they made money on it. They just havent figured out how to do it yet.
Which is worse, stoned and having the munchies or drunk and puking your guts out???
Posted by: Jim | Jul 9, 2007 5:51:53 AM
Don't be naive Jim. Marijuana's illegal status generates
tons of money for the government. Federal and local. It also contributes hugely to the boom in prison construction. It's use IS mostly harmless. The danger lies with the criminal gangs that distribute it. I hope that in my lifetime it is at least decriminalized, or made legal to grow for your own use. But I'm not holding my breath.
Posted by: thomas | Jul 9, 2007 6:14:30 AM
I don't understand the laws in this country. You legally can kill an innocent human being inside of you, but it's illegal to smoke marijuana. That makes absolutely no sense at at all.
Posted by: pootsie | Jul 9, 2007 6:16:34 AM
Until the come up with a way to test you ( DUI, OVI) to tell how high you are and how long ago you smoked it will never be legal. But it should be legal if you ask me.
Posted by: Dick C. Normas | Jul 9, 2007 6:25:17 AM
The judge indeed did indeed undermine the jurors right to jury nullification by with holding the intended use of the pot. Basically, if the jury feels a law is inherently unjust, they can nullify it on a case by case basis. Medicinal marijuana use is a prime candidate for that kind of treatment.
And I agree with thomas - the most dangerous thing about pot is the fact that it's an underground, black market commodity. If it were decriminalized/legalized, that danger would disappear.
Posted by: elchampino | Jul 9, 2007 6:28:14 AM
Let's look at the larger picture... this gentleman spent one day in jail, many others whose only crime was having a bag of the sweet chiba in their pocket get sent to jail for years and years...
And Lewis "Scooter" Libby hasn't had to spend one day in jail for perjury to a grand jury.
True justice is not to be found in this land where the Executive Branch has declared itself monarchs and the dollar is God.
Posted by: steven.danger | Jul 9, 2007 7:13:27 AM
How much time did Bill Clinton do for lying to a grand jury? " I did not have sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky"
Posted by: Jim | Jul 9, 2007 7:25:22 AM
Ed has a legitimate federal soap box to preach from.. I say, "Let him do it, power to him".
Neither here nor there, he gets to f*** with federal prosecutors and indirectly, the DEA while carrying a "get-out-of-jail-free card".
I cannot imagine what could be more fun while helping the medical cannabis cause..
Posted by: Pinch | Jul 9, 2007 8:12:11 AM
Jim -- Clinton didn't do any time for lying to a grand jury. He got Impeached. Remember?
Posted by: steven.danger | Jul 9, 2007 8:15:32 AM
Its always about the money and the War on Drugs is full of it. Seems like the only way to get congress to spend freely is to promote some kind of war on something; The War on Drugs, War on Poverty, War on Terrorism.
You can't even grow commercial grade hemp, even though the amount of THC (the active ingrediant that can get you high) is so low. Craziness. Fun fact of the Day: The Bill of Rights was written on hemp paper.
Posted by: JB | Jul 9, 2007 9:26:12 AM
Whoopes, it was written on parchment, not hemp. 12 Dummy points for me.
Posted by: JB | Jul 9, 2007 9:34:58 AM
pootsie, I suggest perhaps some layman's studies of the law if the non-relevance of abortion in a marijuana case isn't clear to you.
Marijuana being illegal is a joke.
Posted by: WZ | Jul 9, 2007 10:01:41 AM
Yeah JB it was written on parchment but did you know that the founding fathers were all big Marijuana/Hemp cultivators and good old George washington grew the most not to mention being the biggest producer of some of the best Whiskey of the time!! (soon to be reproduced for you, from Georges own recipie in distilleries located on Mt Vernon itself)
The Hemp laws were a direct result of William Randolph Hearst's lobbying to make Hemp/Marijuana illegal because hemp paper mills were threatening his almost monopolistic strangle hold on the wood pulp paper industry of the time!! You know that industry that has deforested most of our old growth forests???? Nice folk!
As usual it's "all about Money" not danger to the public. If that were true then cigs and booze, processed suger, fatty foods and a myriad of other things would be illegal too!!!
Marijuana is almost assured decriminalized status in the next admin if only because of King George the 2nd's idiotic stance towards medical marijuana. The people have spoken and they want pot decriminilized. It's just a matter of time?
Sic Semper Tyrannis!
Posted by: Lorenzo | Jul 9, 2007 10:09:02 AM
Steven, they tried to impeach him, it never passed.
Posted by: Jim | Jul 9, 2007 10:18:18 AM
WZ: Sadly not a humorous joke for the folks that have had to live through the disaster of being prosecuted and punished for using a simple seeded plant. The horror stories abound, families torn up, futures vexed.
The jails are overflowing, largely due to medieval sentencing for non violent marijuana related offences.
Marijuana being illegal is a waste of precious time and money.
Posted by: thomas | Jul 9, 2007 10:20:19 AM
Jim, actually he was impeached on two counts, but then acquitted by the Senate.
Posted by: dep | Jul 9, 2007 10:21:26 AM
you are 100 percent correct, my point is, he walked with no punishment.
Posted by: Jim | Jul 9, 2007 10:27:01 AM
" You legally can kill an innocent human being inside of you"
don't fucking bring a "save the innocent unborn children" tripe into a discussion on weed. If you're going to compare smoking weed there are far better, substance related, things you could use.
christ.
Posted by: boynamedsue | Jul 9, 2007 10:53:04 AM
I'm afraid there are more deeply ingrained cultural reasons why marijuana is illegal, and might be for a long time to come. There was a book a while back called 'Reefer Madness' that talked about this. It's been a while since I read it, but basically the argument is that conservatives and other prudes have ingrained this fear/hate of marijuana into their psyche, first through association with the Mexican immigrants and migrants who introduced it to the States in the early 20th century, and onward to the 'dirty hippies' of the 60's. Drug laws regarding marijuana are essentially a form of cultural oppression/political warfare. I think these days they're not even that - they're just cheap political points for the red state masses.
I think if asked confidentially and behind closed doors, most politicians from both sides of the aisle would really not have a big problem with grass, especially if its for a medical purpose. But to say so publically would be career suicide. It's the same thing with homosexuality and religion. These guys up on the Hill really, honestly, do not care about these issues. That's why they can talk about drug laws, yet meanwhile most of them have almost certainly 'experimented' with some kind of better living through chemistry at some point. It's the same reason they can vote against gay marriage yet still employ gay staffers or be closeted themselves. And its the same reason they use so much religious rhetoric, but actions like actually helping the poor and needy get forgotten about. Because they really frankly don't care. But they pretend they do just to keep the masses happy. And that's what makes it so frustrating when they go out of their way to block progress in these areas, or to move us back in these areas. It's all to stroke their egos and further their careers and give them the cover to get done the crap they really want to get done - favors for big corps, big pharma, big insurance, pork for home districts, etc.
Posted by: elchampino | Jul 9, 2007 10:55:08 AM
BNS, how about "You can legally poison an innocent patch of crabgrass in your yard, but you can't smoke it!"
(Wait--maybe you can smoke crabgrass. Hmmmm...)
Posted by: dep | Jul 9, 2007 10:55:28 AM
Potheads, other drug users and dealers should be executed if brought to trial and found guilty. In fact, that should be the punishment for all crimes and would lower the crime rate dramatically. Otherwise, dopers and other lowlifes will continue to be a drain on society.
Posted by: Dick Tater | Jul 9, 2007 10:58:36 AM
See? My point exactly. Only high strung wackos actually hate grass.
Posted by: elchampino | Jul 9, 2007 11:04:19 AM
I wish elchampino was not correct. Also wish we both weren't so jaded and cynical in realizing that finding the answers to so many perplexing social issues, simply involves following the STINKING money.
Steady there spud boy,,,breathe.
Posted by: thomas | Jul 9, 2007 11:15:44 AM
Dick Tater talked again, shockingly demonstrating a clear lack of understanding of any of the issue... again. hehehehe!
thomas, I am not disagreeing with that. I just get irritated that a substance that seems demonstrably less harmful than alcohol, fr'instance, is illegal while alcohol (and tobacco) are legal. It's beyond silly.
Posted by: WZ | Jul 9, 2007 11:21:40 AM
speaking of substances. anyone smoke that salvia stuff?
You have to get it pretty hot to vaporize properly. but man, what a trip. Its like a strong pot high but things are a lot clearer (feeling dumb is one reason i don't smoke pot often.) but if you pass a threshold you get a psychoactive effect. The room melted for me and my friend saw gnomes. 10 minutes later i was as clear headed as i was before i smoked it. which is another plus because i don't like being out of sorts for an extended period.
best part. totally legal. get the concentrated stuff though. regular leaves require that you smoke a lot. and i for one don't like smoking all that much.
Posted by: boynamedsue | Jul 9, 2007 11:28:35 AM
