President Joe Biden is pardoning thousands of people who were convicted of use and simple possession of marijuana on federal lands and in the District of Columbia.
I hate the emphasis of “simple possession charges”, like there aren’t situations where someone gets charged with multiple misdemeanors or other petty crimes while carrying an 8th. When Minnesota legalized this year they went the route of “simple possession” for pardons and exoneration, only about 3 people had their sentences ended. To me that indicates they’re afraid of being labeled “weak on crime” instead of doing the right thing.
What if you get nailed for possession then they find a bunch of other shit to charge you with. I assume that happens anyway. If weed was the basis of probable cause, throw out the conviction for the other stuff.
Hell even that would be an improvement. I just don’t think prisons fit anywhere in the rehabilitation of prisoners and would rather see all nonviolent offenders released.
Ok I can agree on principle but in practice you unfortunately need to have alternative systems in place first to deal with the realities of the problem.
Take the guy I used to work with who went to prison for scamming old ladies out of money, if we don’t have mechanisms to deal with people like him then it won’t take long before everyone is demanding we bring back prisons
I could be wrong, but I think it’s possible for situations to exist where the other thing only becomes a crime because of the possession. Maybe something like being charged for carrying a gun during the commission of a crime, where the crime being committed was having marijuana.
I hate the emphasis of “simple possession charges”, like there aren’t situations where someone gets charged with multiple misdemeanors or other petty crimes while carrying an 8th. When Minnesota legalized this year they went the route of “simple possession” for pardons and exoneration, only about 3 people had their sentences ended. To me that indicates they’re afraid of being labeled “weak on crime” instead of doing the right thing.
People need to learn “tough on crime” and “law and order” are dog whistles for “oppress minorities”
If you commit another crime while possessing, you’ll be charged with said crime and possession.
You should still be cleared of the possesion charge, while staying locked up for whatever else you might have done.
What if you get nailed for possession then they find a bunch of other shit to charge you with. I assume that happens anyway. If weed was the basis of probable cause, throw out the conviction for the other stuff.
Yeah. Fruit of the poison… uh… tree.
Hell even that would be an improvement. I just don’t think prisons fit anywhere in the rehabilitation of prisoners and would rather see all nonviolent offenders released.
Ok I can agree on principle but in practice you unfortunately need to have alternative systems in place first to deal with the realities of the problem.
Take the guy I used to work with who went to prison for scamming old ladies out of money, if we don’t have mechanisms to deal with people like him then it won’t take long before everyone is demanding we bring back prisons
I could be wrong, but I think it’s possible for situations to exist where the other thing only becomes a crime because of the possession. Maybe something like being charged for carrying a gun during the commission of a crime, where the crime being committed was having marijuana.