Monthly Archives: June 2012
City of Chicago Reduces Penalties for Marijuana Possession
Today, the City Council of Chicago voted 43-3 to amend the city’s code to direct police officers to cite, rather than arrest, individuals in possession of 15 grams or less of marijuana. Under the proposal, which has the support of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, police could still arrest those who cannot produce identification or present a threat to public safety. Those cited would face fines of $200 to $500 dollars and up to 10 hours of community service; however, there would be no risk of jail time.
Passage of the measure means that adults in possession of small amounts of marijuana will no longer be arrested or saddled with criminal records that can make it harder to obtain employment, housing, and student loans. The ordinance will also allow law enforcement to focus on more serious crimes, like the city’s soaring murder rate, while conserving limited police resources. Violent crime has become… Continue reading
Will New Hampshire Republicans override Democrat’s veto?
It came as no surprise when New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat serving his fourth and final term, vetoed SB 409 today. Gov. Lynch vetoed a similar bill in 2009, and he has avoided meeting with patients who hoped to educate him on the subject, so this veto was unfortunate but very much expected.
Despite the governor’s opposition, this bill has earned majority support in both parties and both chambers of the legislature. All eyes will now be on the House and Senate next Wednesday, June 27, when both chambers will vote on whether or not to override the veto.
Fortunately, Sen. Jim Forsythe (R-Strafford) has refused to give up. He published a powerful editorial this week in the Concord Monitor, and he is still working hard to convince his colleagues they should override the veto and pass SB 409 into law.
The Republican-dominated House has twice passed… Continue reading
When Is the Contempt Vote for Michele Leonhart?
Between selling guns to Mexican drug cartels, killing innocent civilians in Honduras, and having to suspend agents for cavorting with prostitutes, it’s been a rough year so far for the DEA. You can understand then why the House Judiciary Committee wanted to call in Michele Leonhart, head of the DEA, for an oversight hearing yesterday.
After a blistering round of questions (starting at 1:02:07) from Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN) on the agency’s bloated budget and the relative harms of marijuana, it was Congressman Jared Polis’ (D-CO) turn to try to get some sort of answers from Leonhart. Again, Leonhart dodged, ducked, and weaved, refusing to answer question after question from the Congressman. Watch for yourself. It really was a virtuoso performance in evasion techniques, particularly considering she works for an administration who recently claimed its drug policy is committed to “science over dogma, evidence over ideology.”… Continue reading
Chicago mayor: Tickets, not jail, for pot users
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel explained publicly for the first time Tuesday why he is throwing his support behind a controversial proposal that would give police officers the option to ticket, rather than arrest, people for having small amounts of marijuana.
The mayor last week issued a statement announcing his backing for the proposal introduced last fall by Alderman Danny Solis.
“I got comfortable with this because I think this is the right thing to do for a number of reasons. It does not… Continue reading
Council Erupts Over Pot Motion
Monday night motion to support Stop the Violence BC campaign sparks heated debate; Mayor Dooley says he will ‘go to the wall’ to keep it from happening
Emotions ran high Monday night as Nelson city council debated a resolution that asked the mayor to write a letter in support of the Stop the Violence BC campaign.
“I believe it will have a negative impact on our community,” said Mayor John Dooley. “The domestic market is only supporting a small portion of organized crime. The drugs that are being grown in British Columbia are being sold to the United States in exchange for cocaine that is being brought back to be sold to the youth in this community and the children in our schoolyards. I sit on the police board, I see the evidence and I can not put this community in that position.”
Stop the Violence BC is a coalition… Continue reading
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