3 ms·

Except that putting people in jail and fining them is cruel and we shouldnt do it without a really fucking good reason.

by deelowe 10y ago

jocro 10y ago
I don't think that was within the scope of the study at all. Not saying that I disagree, but it's not an answer or to any of the questions being asked, and certainly not a refute to any of the study's attempts at answers.
- deelowe 10y ago
  I was responding to the parent. > The data so far provide little support for the strong claims about legalization made by either opponents or supporters. Many supporters, like myself, don't need data. It's wrong to put people in jail and fine them without reason. If there are no significant changes after legalization, then prohibition should be ended. There's no clear benefit to society and enforcement clearly harms the individuals impacted by these laws.
gozur88 10y ago
We don't put people in jail for pot, at least not here in California. We don't have the room. Officially in this state 0.3% of inmates are in for "possession for sale" and "sales" of marijuana. They don't even list simple possession. http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Reports_Research/Offender_Information_Services_Branch/Annual/Census/CENSUSd1312.pdf http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Reports_Research/Offender_Information... It's true federal penitentiaries have a larger percentage of inmates in for simple possession, but the federal prison population is a tiny fraction of the number of people incarcerated by the states. And while I don't have any evidence to back it up, the comparatively small number of people in federal prison for MJ possession suggests they're either the most unlucky people on the planet or they're really there for some other reason even if the government could only make the drug charge stick. Think Al Capone and tax evasion. tl;dr: Legalizing pot isn't going to affect the prison population very much.
- Pinckney 10y ago
  If the government couldn't make other charges stick, they shouldn't be in jail.
  - gozur88 10y ago
    I absolutely agree. But I also think those people will find themselves in jail even in the absence of federal drug laws. Seems to be how things work, as we have given federal prosecutors far too many tools to work with.

Except that putting people in jail and fining them is cruel and we shouldnt do it without a really fucking good reason.

by deelowe 10y ago

Except that putting people in jail and fining them is cruel and we shouldnt do it without a really fucking good reason.

jocro 10y ago

I don't think that was within the scope of the study at all. Not saying that I disagree, but it's not an answer or to any of the questions being asked, and certainly not a refute to any of the study's attempts at answers.

deelowe 10y ago
I was responding to the parent. > The data so far provide little support for the strong claims about legalization made by either opponents or supporters. Many supporters, like myself, don't need data. It's wrong to put people in jail and fine them without reason. If there are no significant changes after legalization, then prohibition should be ended. There's no clear benefit to society and enforcement clearly harms the individuals impacted by these laws.

gozur88 10y ago

We don't put people in jail for pot, at least not here in California. We don't have the room. Officially in this state 0.3% of inmates are in for "possession for sale" and "sales" of marijuana. They don't even list simple possession. http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Reports_Research/Offender_Information_Services_Branch/Annual/Census/CENSUSd1312.pdf http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Reports_Research/Offender_Information... It's true federal penitentiaries have a larger percentage of inmates in for simple possession, but the federal prison population is a tiny fraction of the number of people incarcerated by the states. And while I don't have any evidence to back it up, the comparatively small number of people in federal prison for MJ possession suggests they're either the most unlucky people on the planet or they're really there for some other reason even if the government could only make the drug charge stick. Think Al Capone and tax evasion. tl;dr: Legalizing pot isn't going to affect the prison population very much.

Pinckney 10y ago
If the government couldn't make other charges stick, they shouldn't be in jail.
- gozur88 10y ago
  I absolutely agree. But I also think those people will find themselves in jail even in the absence of federal drug laws. Seems to be how things work, as we have given federal prosecutors far too many tools to work with.