The article makes him sound like an opportunistic follower.
"the latest of several instances in which he has embarked on a major social policy effort sure to bolster his popularity with a large portion of his political base."
New York State Is Set to Loosen Marijuana Laws
11–20 of 52 posts
Re: New York State Is Set to Loosen Marijuana Laws
#12Coloradan here.
No matter how dangerous and unhealthy you think marijuana is, confrontational relations with law enforcement and pre-trial detention for marijuana possession are much more dangerous and unhealthy. Prison is violence, and lets drop the Newspeak: arrests result in prison.
Its time to end Prohibition. Its time to legalize it.
Re: New York State Is Set to Loosen Marijuana Laws
#13Barely loosen. Like the most mundane loosening possible. Great job, New York Times headline copywriter.
Isn't it a bit of a slippery slope (in a good way - if you support legalisation), in that it's a much bigger change of policy to go from no use to a few uses than it is to go from a few uses to many uses. I'd think this is a big step even if it's short-term impact is extremely limited.
The fact that NY laws regarding marijuana would directly conflict with Federal law is significant. As more states defy the Federal prohibition of marijuana, it creates more tension between the states and the USGOV. Eventually with enough tension of this kind, Congress will have enough political cover to actually do something.
Re: New York State Is Set to Loosen Marijuana Laws
#14Can someone tell me how marijuana is currently treated by the police in New York? According to the article, New York has "long one of the nation’s most punitive states for those caught using or dealing drugs", but according to Wikipedia, marijuana is decriminalized in New York, which as far as I understand the term means that those caught with marijuana only get a relatively small penalty.
I can't comment on how the police treat it currently but your quote is referring to the Rockefeller Drug Laws (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockefeller_Drug_Laws) which mandated a 15 year minimum sentence for possessing or selling above certain limits until as recently as 2009. They have historically been some of the harshest and most punitive drug laws in the country.
Re: New York State Is Set to Loosen Marijuana Laws
#15Coloradan here. No matter how dangerous and unhealthy you think marijuana is, confrontational relations with law enforcement and pre-trial detention for marijuana possession are much more dangerous and unhealthy. Prison is violence, and lets drop the Newspeak: arrests result in prison. Its time to end Prohibition. Its time to legalize it.
Chris Hayes nailed it last night:
Re: New York State Is Set to Loosen Marijuana Laws
#16Can someone tell me how marijuana is currently treated by the police in New York? According to the article, New York has "long one of the nation’s most punitive states for those caught using or dealing drugs", but according to Wikipedia, marijuana is decriminalized in New York, which as far as I understand the term means that those caught with marijuana only get a relatively small penalty.
[deleted]
Re: New York State Is Set to Loosen Marijuana Laws
#17Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's still forward progress. Why the snark though? Is there anyone who doesn't know the United States isn't socially progressive relative to other western nations? The fact that we're loosening dumb laws is good.
On the topic of marijuana, the US is more liberal than most European countries. In exactly two European countries, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, can you obtain marijuana for medical purposes without risk of a fine or in the worst case ending up in jail.
Portugal also - you can possess it for personal use (medicinal or otherwise) as long as it's under 25g and you don't use it in public. (Same with other drugs there.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_and_medical_status_of_can...
Re: New York State Is Set to Loosen Marijuana Laws
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
On the topic of marijuana, the US is more liberal than most European countries. In exactly two European countries, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, can you obtain marijuana for medical purposes without risk of a fine or in the worst case ending up in jail.
And Spain - at least, in Barcelona, where there are legal ways to obtain marijuana, and not even for medical reasons.
Seems like whether they are legal or not is debatable, although the extent of my knowledge on Spanish law is having read this link just now: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_and_medical_status_of_can...
Re: New York State Is Set to Loosen Marijuana Laws
#19Re: New York State Is Set to Loosen Marijuana Laws
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
And Spain - at least, in Barcelona, where there are legal ways to obtain marijuana, and not even for medical reasons.
Seems like whether they are legal or not is debatable, although the extent of my knowledge on Spanish law is having read this link just now: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_and_medical_status_of_can...
Its pretty tolerated compared to UK and Austria (the countries I have lived in). You regularly smell it in the street, and police don't make such a big deal from anecdotal evidence.