Longtime Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank announced on Real Time this weekend that he plans to "file a bill as soon as we go back to remove all penalties for small amounts of marijuana." Frank said,
"I wanted to do it for a long time. I filed it in the state legislature in the '70s. When I got to Congress, frankly, I was feeling more cautious. I now think it's time for the politicians to catch up to the public. The notion that you lock people up for smoking marijuana is pretty silly. I'm going to call it the Make Room for Serious Criminals bill."
After wind of the announcement reached those not up watching HBO late at night, Rep. Frank had to clarify. He said the current federal law unfairly targets those using medical marijuana in California and that the decision of whether to make possession of the drug illegal should be left up to the states. "I don’t think smoking marijuana should be a federal case. There’s no federal law against mugging," he said.
Supporters say the measure would save states millions of dollars in law enforcement costs while critics say decriminalizing any amount of marijuana could send a signal to children that smoking pot is no big deal.
Are you surprised to hear legislation proposed on premium cable? Is Frank right?
Manoush
Hussein Chalayan
Kit Heath
I have a lot of friends and some family who smoke weed and still manage to live normal functional lives. Now, I dont smoke and dont particularly agree with smoking in general but I do think there are more important things out there to arrest people for.
1Good, this should be a state issue, not a federal issue.
2whoa, mymellow and I agree on something! that is so cool!
3I think some people ought to be prescribed pot for their personality! It has helped some people I know become a heck of a lot nicer to be around.
4I'm never sure if Frank's entertainment value obscures the issues he promotes or helps give them more exposure, but I do always enjoy watching him.
And I agree with MMM too.
5The reasons marijuana was made illegal in the first place are so ridiculous and not based in fact at all (see Reefer Madness). Marijuana is not physically addictive and it doesn't have the long term affects that legal substances such as nicotine and alcohol do. Not only would it save jail space and law enforcement dollars (there was an article on MSN and while back talking about how many people are incarcerated for marjjuana related offenses), but if it was legal it could be taxed. I know people will disagree, but I don't think it's any bigger of a deal than drinking is and it's certainly not nearly as bad as nicotine.
6definitely let the states and citizens decide
7I also agree the legality should be a state issue, particularly in light of the federal government's stance on the state medical marijuana laws.
8I have to admit I am caught between a rock and a hard place on this issue. I do feel that marijuana should be as legal a substance as nicotine. However, there are peripheral issues for me such as the when and where. For starters the smell really makes me sick and then there is the issue of an unwanted contact high if I'm at an outdoor cafe and the guy at the next table decides he's going to light up where does that leave me. What if there are kids around? And God help us if people in general are as Daffy on pot as my room mate is. We'll have people roaming the streets giggling and saying what?...what?...what?
9Yeah, this should definitely be a state issue, plain and simple. (Although, in my personal opinion, it should be legalized. However, legally, I think each state should be able to decide. Does that make sense?)
10Steph, Jude, 2M and me all on the same stage.
(And I didn't forget you lilkimbo, it's just we tend to share to be aligned on our stances more often than not
)
11Oh, and lilkimbo, that makes perfect sense.
12If only potheads weren't so lethargic, they'd have gotten this repealed years ago!
13
raciccarone!
143m, i think you hit it on the nail - it's a state issue and should be treated as such!
i used to work for a MJ reform policy group and Barney Frank was one of our biggest supporters, as was Montel Williams (he smokes med mj for his MS).
Hynotic, in answer to your question, most drug reform groups do not advocate a "smoke anywhere" policy if marijuana were to be legalized. most of them are smart enough to understand that having mj smoked in cafes where kids hang out is not just bad publicity, but bad for the public in general! in any case, it would be regulated like alcohol where you can't have an open container in public or you can drink (or smoke) in the privacy of your home without repudiation.
15"I'm going to call it the Make Room for Serious Criminals bill"
Amen!
There is a documentary re-airing on Showtime that is called "American Drug War". VERY INFORMATIVE! It has tons of CIA and LAPD officals describing the drug war in our country, and how it is just a bunch of bs. It has so many facts, I can't sum it all up. All I have to say is, watch it!
Also, the History Channel has a documentary series called, "The History of Drugs". So many drugs were made illegal because of racism, and competition. For example, they have the diary of the drug czar saying something like, "What can I say to make this harmless plant illegal?" Pressure from the alcohol companies after prohibition ended is really what made pot illegal.
16I'd have to agree with M3 on this one, which I think is a first!
I think federal legislation concerning marijuana is ridiculous, takes way too much tax payer money, and takes away states rights, especially in cases of medicinal marijuana.
Not to mention, the number of criminals in jail for pot is just ridiculous. When they'll let child molesters out on parole but keep someone in jail a small bag of weed, we have a serious problem in this country.
17In 1972 Willie Nelson started NORML, the national organization for reform of marijuana legislation. Alcohol is worse for you health wise than marijuana is. Its ridiculous the amount of people in jail for pot when there are violent crimes happening. Nevermind the fact hemp can't be grown even though it's impossible to get high off of and can be used for plastics, fuel, paper, clothing and much more.
18Its time logic is used instead of broken rationales.
It's just like anything else. I think it's harmless in moderation, but I think there should be qualifiers. It should be for private home use or perhaps bars specifically for that purpose. I don't think it should be allowed in public. Like hypnoticmix said parents shouldn't have to worry about their children catching a contact high...or anyone else for that matter. I also think that there should be specific laws about operating a vehicle or showing up to work high since it definitely impairs your judgement even if it doesn't leave permanent effects.
19I just smoked some pretty good schwag the other day.
20well it's not legal in canada by any means, we definitely have more lax laws on it here. and thankfully. i think it should be legalized. and as someone who likes to indulge with the occasional joint or two, it's not like people are just going to start lighting up joints everywhere. there's no need to worry about sitting outside at a local starbucks and having to worry about someone smoking a joint beside you and your kids. oh and in canada, we do have a few "marijuana bars". it's fantastic!
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