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how many people are in prison for just 'smoking pot'

Probably not all that many, but growers and importers aren't doing anything much more 'criminal' than smoking it, and then you've got a different story. While I don't feel the same at all about hard drugs, I still think rehab is a much better option. Regardless of whether someone smoked a doobie or brought a ton of heroin into the US, I'd much rather have them free than a murderer, if it could only be one and I were given the choice.
 
It's gone down a lot since the height of the "War on Drugs" in the 80s. Usually cops put them in jail for pot to sweat them for something else. I personally do not know anybody serving lengthy sentances for possession. Of course the last time a friend of mine got caught carrying was before he was 18, so the leniency of juvie sentances may play a factor.

Of course I don't live in an area with Mandatory Minimums. Talk to someone in one of those states. I'm sure there are a number of people serving 3 years for hitting a joint.
 
By "smoking pot", do you mean possession? Most people busted for small possession don't go to prison, but might spend up to 180 days in the county jail. I have no exact figures, but I imagine it's probably a couple hundred thousand at any given time.
IIRC, the US prison population is roughly 2.5 million, with roughly 60% in for non-violent drug offenses only.
 
My brother goes to court in a couple months for possession. It's his second offense (he was on probation from the first) and so it's very likely that he'll spend some time in the clink. There's really no laws dumber then those against marijuana. Putting someone in jail for smoking pot is like putting someone in jail for not wearing a seatbelt. Insane. A lot of pot smokers are good people (like my brother) and jail could really mess them up - even if just for a short time.
 
Originally posted by: DougK62
My brother goes to court in a couple months for possession. It's his second offense (he was on probation from the first) and so it's very likely that he'll spend some time in the clink. There's really no laws dumber then those against marijuana. Putting someone in jail for smoking pot is like putting someone in jail for not wearing a seatbelt. Insane. A lot of pot smokers are good people (like my brother) and jail could really mess them up - even if just for a short time.
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Yup, but it's a law. Follow the law or go to jail. It's not like we can't already do pretty much whatever we want in this country.
 
I believe the majority of people in prison today are there on drug charges of some sort... But that's how you win the war.
 
There's really no laws dumber then those against marijuana. Putting someone in jail for smoking pot is like putting someone in jail for not wearing a seatbelt. Insane. A lot of pot smokers are good people (like my brother) and jail could really mess them up - even if just for a short time.
Click to expand...

I agree. Who exactly are we protecting by putting marijuana users in jail? I certainly don't feel threatened by them. We can't be protecting them because how can anyone argue that jail is better for a person than marijuana? The laws make zero sense.
 
Every experience I've had or heard about from someone I know, the cops just take the pot away and do nothing else. Even when my dealer got caught with a ziploc bag (one of those big ones) nearly filled with pot, the cops just took it away and didn't arrest her.

I think pot is used as a tool to arrest people either out of spite (if you're an ass to the cops) or if they think you did something else and can't prove it yet.
 
Originally posted by: chrisms
Every experience I've had or heard about from someone I know, the cops just take the pot away and do nothing else. Even when my dealer got caught with a ziploc bag (one of those big ones) nearly filled with pot, the cops just took it away and didn't arrest her.

I think pot is used as a tool to arrest people either out of spite (if you're an ass to the cops) or if they think you did something else and can't prove it yet.
Click to expand...

gee, or maybe its just against the law? Yep...cops are out to get people alright. Not like that's what they're paid to do - enforce the law.
 
Originally posted by: Thraxen
There's really no laws dumber then those against marijuana. Putting someone in jail for smoking pot is like putting someone in jail for not wearing a seatbelt. Insane. A lot of pot smokers are good people (like my brother) and jail could really mess them up - even if just for a short time.
Click to expand...

I agree. Who exactly are we protecting by putting marijuana users in jail? I certainly don't feel threatened by them. We can't be protecting them because how can anyone argue that jail is better for a person than marijuana? The laws make zero sense.
Click to expand...

State-imposed paternalistic moralism. Why do we have decency laws? Same reason. Why are there laws against public consumption of alcohol? Same reason.
 
Originally posted by: Vic
By "smoking pot", do you mean possession? Most people busted for small possession don't go to prison, but might spend up to 180 days in the county jail. I have no exact figures, but I imagine it's probably a couple hundred thousand at any given time.
IIRC, the US prison population is roughly 2.5 million, with roughly 60% in for non-violent drug offenses only.
Click to expand...

yes, i mean minor possession. not dealer/grower quantities, not found with harder drugs, not run in because a search came up because someone was drinking and driving.
 
Originally posted by: MadCowDisease
Originally posted by: Thraxen
There's really no laws dumber then those against marijuana. Putting someone in jail for smoking pot is like putting someone in jail for not wearing a seatbelt. Insane. A lot of pot smokers are good people (like my brother) and jail could really mess them up - even if just for a short time.
Click to expand...

I agree. Who exactly are we protecting by putting marijuana users in jail? I certainly don't feel threatened by them. We can't be protecting them because how can anyone argue that jail is better for a person than marijuana? The laws make zero sense.
Click to expand...

State-imposed paternalistic moralism. Why do we have decency laws? Same reason. Why are there laws against public consumption of alcohol? Same reason.
Click to expand...

keep the debate out of my thread please
 
Originally posted by: chrisms
Every experience I've had or heard about from someone I know, the cops just take the pot away and do nothing else. Even when my dealer got caught with a ziploc bag (one of those big ones) nearly filled with pot, the cops just took it away and didn't arrest her.

I think pot is used as a tool to arrest people either out of spite (if you're an ass to the cops) or if they think you did something else and can't prove it yet.
Click to expand...

They probably took the bag and resold it or smoked it themselves...not all cops are good, and corruption is widespread throughout the system - especially at the top.
 
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: chrisms
Every experience I've had or heard about from someone I know, the cops just take the pot away and do nothing else. Even when my dealer got caught with a ziploc bag (one of those big ones) nearly filled with pot, the cops just took it away and didn't arrest her.

I think pot is used as a tool to arrest people either out of spite (if you're an ass to the cops) or if they think you did something else and can't prove it yet.
Click to expand...

gee, or maybe its just against the law? Yep...cops are out to get people alright. Not like that's what they're paid to do - enforce the law.
Click to expand...

Plus, believe it or not, small-time marijuana busts can start a trail towards much bigger busts that I'm sure all of us do appreciate. That is unless you're down with crack dealing being okay too. 😛
 
State-imposed paternalistic moralism. Why do we have decency laws? Same reason. Why are there laws against public consumption of alcohol? Same reason.
Click to expand...

But alcohol differs because it is legal many situations. Your statement has little to do with the issue. They could pass the same sorts of usage laws for marijuana and I would be fine with that. I'm just sick of tax dollars being wasted on arresting and detaining marijuana users. It's utterly stupid.

P.S. I'm not even a marijuana user.
 
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