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As many of the laws in North America have generally been changing in favor of lesser penalties for marijuana-related offenses, Oklahoma decided to send a message from the other side of the argument.
On April 20, the Oklahoma state senate passed a bill (voted 44 to 2) to increase the punishment for creating hashish to a $50,000 fine and 2 years to life in prison.
What does everyone think about this decision? I, as an OK resident, am just shocked and completely disgusted. I know there are quite a few smokers on TL, just wondering how the community sees this new bill.
The Oklahoma Senate Wednesday passed a bill that would mandate a sentence of up to life in prison for making hashish out of marijuana. The House has already approved the measure, but it must go back to the lower chamber for a final vote.
The measure sailed through the Senate with little debate, passing on a vote of 44-2. The House also approved the measure by a large margin, passing it on a vote of 75-18.
The bill, House Bill 1798, creates a new felony of converting marijuana into hash. A first conviction could garner a $50,000 fine and prison sentence of two years to life. Second or subsequent convictions would net doubled penalties.
Oklahoma legislative analysts said the bill would cost the state $56 per day, or more than $20,000 a year, for each day someone is imprisoned. At that rate, if Oklahoma imprisoned five hash makers for 10 years each, the bill to taxpayers would be one million dollars.
The bill was the brainchild of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (OBNDD), which says on its web site that its mission is "to serve the citizens of Oklahoma in the quest for a drug-free state."
According to the Tulsa World, OBNDD said there have been "few" cases of hash making in the Sooner State. But OBNDD spokesman Mark Woodward said the goal of the bill is to "send a message" that illegal drugs won't be tolerated in Oklahoma.
Neither, apparently, will common sense or a sense of proportionality.
Oklahoma City, OK
United States
Sources:
http://www.news9.com/story/14487337/senate-oks-life-in-prison-for-cooking-hash-in-okla?clienttype=printable
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2011/apr/22/oklahoma_senate_passes_life_sent
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Oklahoma legislative analysts said the bill would cost the state $56 per day, or more than $20,000 a year, for each day someone is imprisoned. At that rate, if Oklahoma imprisoned five hash makers for 10 years each, the bill to taxpayers would be one million dollars.
How do they think that this is rational whatsoever. I do not get the point of doing this at all. I don't even know what else to say because I can't relate to their way of thinking.
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You're taking weed?! AND CONDENSING IT?! PRISON FOR LIFE!
It's stupid, like every single other drug law in the U.S.
No steps forward, just steps backward.
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Which is it? You say two years in your OP, but the article says up to life. Or is two years the minimum?
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On April 24 2011 03:22 R0YAL wrote:Show nested quote +
Oklahoma legislative analysts said the bill would cost the state $56 per day, or more than $20,000 a year, for each day someone is imprisoned. At that rate, if Oklahoma imprisoned five hash makers for 10 years each, the bill to taxpayers would be one million dollars.
How do they think that this is rational whatsoever. I do not get the point of doing this at all. I don't even know what else to say because I can't relate to their way of thinking.
Exactly the thing that caught my mind...
Also, 2 Years to Life is a pretty big jump...
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On April 24 2011 03:25 Ferrose wrote:
Which is it? You say two years in your OP, but the article says up to life. Or is two years the minimum?
The OP says 2 years to life in prison.
On April 24 2011 03:26 TALegion wrote:
Also, 2 Years to Life is a pretty big jump...
Yeah to say the least lol. I wonder how much hash you need to have to get life o.O
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I think this will only hurt us more. You can't win a war on drugs, in my opinion... nor do I think there should even be one.
I've never done drugs, but I'm fine with letting people do as they please to their own bodies on their own time.
Just as long as they still pay any consequences for hurting others while under the influence. That's still obviously inexcusable, and they should still be held accountable for their actions while high or drunk or tripping or whatever.
We're losing money by jailing drug users, when the government could be making money by taxing these substances.
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I predict that the first state to fully embrace marijuana, i.e. developing laws for its sale and control, will receive a large economic boost. I'm from Minnesota and we have a large agricultural research university (U of M). I don't see why we haven't legalized the retailing of pot, with some additional laws barring minors from purchasing or consuming it, driving under the influence, etc, and then tax the shit out of it. This would also have the effect of reducing revenue to street gangs who sell weed to fund their other gang activities. The hard drugs market, as far as I know, has a much much smaller user base.
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This is absolutely ridiculous, as regardless of whether you think pot is okay or not, the punishment clearly is way too severe for the crime.
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we'd win the war on drugs if the governmnet could macro better
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Gotta love that I live in the Netherlands. Weed or hash isn't even that special, and in my opinion 2 years in prison for something like this is as absurd as cutting someone has hand of after stealing some candy.
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On April 24 2011 03:28 A3iL3r0n wrote:
I predict that the first state to fully embrace marijuana, i.e. developing laws for its sale and control, will receive a large economic boost. I'm from Minnesota and we have a large agricultural research university (U of M). I don't see why we haven't legalized the retailing of pot, with some additional laws barring minors from purchasing or consuming it, driving under the influence, etc, and then tax the shit out of it. This would also have the effect of reducing revenue to street gangs who sell weed to fund their other gang activities. The hard drugs market, as far as I know, has a much much smaller user base.
Yeah I have been saying the same thing. It really doesnt make sense to me as to why the government doesnt do this for those exact reasons that you stated. It would be a huge economic industry with tons of profit and it would reduce gangs, crime, ect.. The prisons would be ridiculously less full which is a problem right now. I see pros and no cons.
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On April 24 2011 03:28 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:
We're losing money by jailing drug users, when the government could be making money by taxing these substances.
This basically sums up my opinion on drug laws. Nobody is being hurt except the person who chooses to hurt him or herself. Why is it such a large felony?
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That is fucked up. It's a non violent crime. Prisons are already so crowded. There's really nothing more to say. The people who voted for this bill are crazy and are definitely not perusing the best interests of their state.
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While I don't agree with OK's decision, I think the worst turn of events is if other states follow. While I don't do drugs, I am against government control on anything and pot barely qualifies as something.
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Sad to see, but its hard to be disappointed in the southern USA. They set the bar so low with their regressive thinking that I have a hard time being surprised by this.
They hate paying taxes, but they love spending money on their prison systems with tax money. Gotta love the south!
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Jesus, this is so fucking stupid. The War on Drugs is just an immense waste of taxpayer money.
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Well a big part of our ecofuck in OK is that our state constitution doesn't allow our legislature to raise taxes unless the people bring up and vote for the idea of a tax raise. This coupled with the fact that every conservative politician is praising more tax cuts means that we are broke, won't get out of it because good luck making Oklahoma residents vote for a tax increase and we are also doing stupid shit like this that just makes the debt even worse.
I may be wrong about some of those points because I learned most of it in an after-class conversation with my Federal Government professor and don't remember every bit.
God I hate living here =[
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Seriously. If you can't fight them, join them. Why go against the general trend?
I do believe 420 should be taxed and legal, but I doubt how economically feasible is it to tax it. There is already a huge underground market for it; should you tax it, it's probably going to cost more than the current price, giving little incentives for people to buy.
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On April 24 2011 03:35 Pjj wrote:
Gotta love that I live in the Netherlands. Weed or hash isn't even that special, and in my opinion 2 years in prison for something like this is as absurd as cutting someone has hand of after stealing some candy.
Oh, so jealous!
This legislation is so arbitrary; makes no sense at all...  I doubt I'll ever see this plant legalized in my life time. The hate for it is so irrational as demonstrated by this law.
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EPT
