Tennessee Pot prosecution bill clears key hurdle

[Skylar]

A Republican-sponsored bill that would make three or more convictions for simple possession or casual exchange of marijuana a misdemeanor rather than a felony passed a key hurdle on Tuesday. With a unanimous 9-0 vote, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill that would make changes to the prosecution of those found guilty of possessing marijuana and other controlled substances three or more times. The move is expected to decrease the state's incarceration costs by as much as $2 million, according to the bill's fiscal note.

Pot prosecution bill clears key hurdle

If even Tennessee, one of the reddest of red states can see that pot laws need to be softened, we may have reached zeitgeist critical mass on the issue.

 

[Pogo]

A Republican-sponsored bill that would make three or more convictions for simple possession or casual exchange of marijuana a misdemeanor rather than a felony passed a key hurdle on Tuesday. With a unanimous 9-0 vote, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill that would make changes to the prosecution of those found guilty of possessing marijuana and other controlled substances three or more times. The move is expected to decrease the state's incarceration costs by as much as $2 million, according to the bill's fiscal note.

Pot prosecution bill clears key hurdle

If even Tennessee, one of the reddest of red states can see that pot laws need to be softened, we may have reached zeitgeist critical mass on the issue.

Meh - anyone who spends time in Tennessee can see it's not as "red" as it's made out to be, not any more. Lot of urbanization has flowed under the temporal bridge.

Ain't it funny that, fifty or sixty years ago, the term "red" meant something completely different... and yet in some ways, meant the same thing?

 

[Skylar]

A Republican-sponsored bill that would make three or more convictions for simple possession or casual exchange of marijuana a misdemeanor rather than a felony passed a key hurdle on Tuesday. With a unanimous 9-0 vote, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill that would make changes to the prosecution of those found guilty of possessing marijuana and other controlled substances three or more times. The move is expected to decrease the state's incarceration costs by as much as $2 million, according to the bill's fiscal note.

Pot prosecution bill clears key hurdle

If even Tennessee, one of the reddest of red states can see that pot laws need to be softened, we may have reached zeitgeist critical mass on the issue.

Meh - anyone who spends time in Tennessee can see it's not as "red" as it's made out to be, not any more. Lot of urbanization has flowed under the temporal bridge.

Ain't it funny that, fifty or sixty years ago, the term "red" meant something completely different... and yet in some ways, meant the same thing?

Yeah, but a republican sponsored bill that was forwarded by committee vote of 9 to 0? That's quite a statement.

 

[bucs90]

Smaller less intrusive government. We've been saying it for years. You leftists should jump on board.

The government shouldn't have the power to throw you in prison for smoking grass.

But....force you to purchase health insurance??? Oh yeah....government should be forcing you to do that for sure.

 

[Skylar]

Smaller less intrusive government. We've been saying it for years. You leftists should jump on board.

Who is 'we'? Republicans? Or cops?

Because I can show you both fighting against the decriminalization of pot.

Regardless, I'm glad to see that at least the economic argument is starting to take root.

 

[Snouter]

Why don't they legalize the plant? WTF are they afraid of?

 

[WillMunny]

As a libertarian-minded dude, I don't see why the gov't. (or anyone else) even cares about someone smoking a nice, fat tampon in the privacy of their own home! I'd be a liar if I said I don't like to get baked and dance to bluesy, jam-band, classic rock. Nobody is being harmed by me doing so. Hell, I think every cell in my body is held together by a web of THC molecules, so if I didn't smoke weed, I would physically disintegrate, LOL!

 

[Skylar]

As a libertarian-minded dude, I don't see why the gov't. (or anyone else) even cares about someone smoking a nice, fat tampon in the privacy of their own home! I'd be a liar if I said I don't like to get baked and dance to bluesy, jam-band, classic rock. Nobody is being harmed by me doing so. Hell, I think every cell in my body is held together by a web of THC molecules, so if I didn't smoke weed, I would physically disintegrate, LOL!

I can wrap my head around a society determing that a given substance causes too much harm to society and has to be outlawed. The effects on opium in China before the opium wars was devastating. But once you've determined what an *acceptable* level of harm is, a level that *isn't* outlawed, then logically anything less harmful than that would be legal too.

In what world is weed more dangerous than alcohol?