5 ms·

Actually I think the U.S. is ahead of Norway here, as cannabis has been decriminalized in several states in the U.S. As to the racial component — Norway is not

by erokar 9y ago

Actually I think the U.S. is ahead of Norway here, as cannabis has been decriminalized in several states in the U.S. As to the racial component — Norway is not as racially diverse as the U.S., but if you are black you will be routinely stopped by police and interrogated on the street in Norway. This will not happen if you are white. I know of a university professor from Africa that experiences this several times a year — he has just resigned to the fact. On a diffrent note, Norway has a huge problem with drug-related deaths: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-07-19/which-european-nation-suffers-most-drug-induced-deaths http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-07-19/which-european-nati...

int_19h 9y ago
I don't think we have any states where it has been decriminalized. It has been outright legalized in some, but most still have it illegal - and possession often results in prison time, not just fines. Of course, it's still illegal on the federal level regardless of the state, and you can run afoul of that (e.g. at an internal border control checkpoint).
- eksu 9y ago
  Alaska for decades.
- nsxwolf 9y ago
  Illinois decriminalized possession of up to 10 grams last year.
- dvanduzer 9y ago
  I live in Colorado. Marijuana was slowly decriminalized before it was legalized. A handful of states stopped putting minorities into prison for marijuana. It's hard to argue that any of the states have applied a reasonable standard of justice for anyone convicted of these crimes prior to the laws changing.
- chairmanwow 9y ago
  Not quite. North Carolina for instance has decriminalized carrying small amounts of Cannabis. The map in this article is particularly illuminating: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decriminalization_of_non-medical_cannabis_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decriminalization_of_non-medic...
- wpietri 9y ago
  I can't speak for all of California, but it's effectively decriminalized in San Francisco, and has been for a decade at least.
- jknoepfler 9y ago
  The distinction is a legal one, but it's important if you're applying for a job or an apartment. A traffic ticket has very different ramifications than a criminal sentence. I live in a legal state, and I honestly can't imagine living someplace that still prohibits marijuana use by adults... I use edible marijuana pretty frequently while cooking and reading. As far as I can tell, it's just nice and improves my quality of life, like good food or good sex. The very idea of criminalization is so asinine that it's hard to wrap my head around.
corndoge 9y ago
You can still receive jail time for possession of e.g. 1g of marijuana for personal use in states where it is decriminalized. "Decriminalized" just means it's a misdemeanor and not a felony under certain conditions and in certain quantities, but misdemeanors still carry significant penalties.
- leesalminen 9y ago
  In New York State, “decriminalized” marijuana means the offense is a violation, which is less than a misdemeanor. It’s essentially a $100 ticket for simple possession under 28g. Anecdotally, I’ve found it quite easy to get these cases dismissed. They frequently don’t test the alleged substance because it’s too expensive for the state. So, the judge ends up dismissing the case due to lack of evidence.
  - corndoge 9y ago
    In my state it means a misdemeanor. Also anecdotally, it's not hard to get these cases dismissed here through a combination of a clean drug test and preemptive community service hours. But I have still spent time in jail for a case that was ultimately dismissed and the state law allows for significant (relative to the 'crime') prison sentences for simple possession, even though we are considered "decriminalized".
  - posterboy 9y ago
    why, if the test comes out positive, surely the plaintiff has to pay ..?
    - buttcoinslol 9y ago
      The plaintiff is the state. The defendant should not be held responsible for financial costs incurred by the state while gathering evidence.
      - posterboy 9y ago
        s/plaintiff/defendant/g # my bad
azernik 9y ago
The racial component in the US is such a hot-button issue not just because of the degree of racial discrimination, but also because the size and non-immigrant status of the black minority here.
PhasmaFelis 9y ago
> Actually I think the U.S. is ahead of Norway here, as cannabis has been decriminalized in several states in the U.S. Most states are still as bad as or worse than Norway, though. In terms of laws and regulation, US states are more like separate nations in many ways.
- digi_owl 9y ago
  > US states are more like separate nations in many ways. Indeed, though less so than before the civil war. Thus Brexit is an interesting test case for seeing if EU is able to "disassemble" without bloodshed.
  - pjc50 9y ago
    That's going to depend entirely on the Irish border solution. I'm not sure it's a great test case given the total incompetence of how it's being handled.
paperpunk 9y ago
Apropos of nothing, but you mentioning that brought up a memory of when I was in Helsinki this summer: I took a taxi back to the airport early in the morning and the taxi driver (a black man) asked me (white) to sit in the front rather than the back, otherwise he would get stopped by police. Not necessarily something I was expecting in Norway. But what do I know?
- halflings 9y ago
  One reason why they might have asked you this is because working for services like Uber is illegal in Finland (Helsinki is not in Norway), and they might suspect that a darker skinned person driving with a white person at the back is more likely to be an Uber driver (Uber drivers are predominantly from an immigrant background, from personal experience). Still racial profiling, but maybe not as bad as being stopped for "only" being black.
  - edmccard 9y ago
    >they might suspect that a darker skinned person driving with a white person at the back is more likely to be an Uber driver I think in Finland official taxis say "TAKSI" and have a yellow sign on the roof, so maybe they might suspect any unofficial-looking car with a driver in the front and the sole passenger in the back as being an Uber.
  - AnssiH 9y ago
    > working for services like Uber is illegal in Finland (Helsinki is not in Norway) Not really true. However, you do need a taxi license, and many/most Uber drivers didn't have one.
- Someone 9y ago
  Not that Helsinki is in Finland, apparently :-)
- AnssiH 9y ago
  It is standard for taxi passengers to sit in the front in Finland, though.
tw04 9y ago
You do realize the current administration is actively trying to go after state governments that have decriminalized marijuana, right? http://www.newsweek.com/will-jeff-sessions-medical-marijuana-718676 http://www.newsweek.com/will-jeff-sessions-medical-marijuana...

by erokar 9y ago

int_19h 9y ago

I don't think we have any states where it has been decriminalized. It has been outright legalized in some, but most still have it illegal - and possession often results in prison time, not just fines. Of course, it's still illegal on the federal level regardless of the state, and you can run afoul of that (e.g. at an internal border control checkpoint).

eksu 9y ago
Alaska for decades.
nsxwolf 9y ago
Illinois decriminalized possession of up to 10 grams last year.
dvanduzer 9y ago
I live in Colorado. Marijuana was slowly decriminalized before it was legalized. A handful of states stopped putting minorities into prison for marijuana. It's hard to argue that any of the states have applied a reasonable standard of justice for anyone convicted of these crimes prior to the laws changing.
chairmanwow 9y ago
Not quite. North Carolina for instance has decriminalized carrying small amounts of Cannabis. The map in this article is particularly illuminating: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decriminalization_of_non-medical_cannabis_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decriminalization_of_non-medic...
wpietri 9y ago
I can't speak for all of California, but it's effectively decriminalized in San Francisco, and has been for a decade at least.
jknoepfler 9y ago
The distinction is a legal one, but it's important if you're applying for a job or an apartment. A traffic ticket has very different ramifications than a criminal sentence. I live in a legal state, and I honestly can't imagine living someplace that still prohibits marijuana use by adults... I use edible marijuana pretty frequently while cooking and reading. As far as I can tell, it's just nice and improves my quality of life, like good food or good sex. The very idea of criminalization is so asinine that it's hard to wrap my head around.

corndoge 9y ago

You can still receive jail time for possession of e.g. 1g of marijuana for personal use in states where it is decriminalized. "Decriminalized" just means it's a misdemeanor and not a felony under certain conditions and in certain quantities, but misdemeanors still carry significant penalties.

leesalminen 9y ago
In New York State, “decriminalized” marijuana means the offense is a violation, which is less than a misdemeanor. It’s essentially a $100 ticket for simple possession under 28g. Anecdotally, I’ve found it quite easy to get these cases dismissed. They frequently don’t test the alleged substance because it’s too expensive for the state. So, the judge ends up dismissing the case due to lack of evidence.
- corndoge 9y ago
  In my state it means a misdemeanor. Also anecdotally, it's not hard to get these cases dismissed here through a combination of a clean drug test and preemptive community service hours. But I have still spent time in jail for a case that was ultimately dismissed and the state law allows for significant (relative to the 'crime') prison sentences for simple possession, even though we are considered "decriminalized".
- posterboy 9y ago
  why, if the test comes out positive, surely the plaintiff has to pay ..?
  - buttcoinslol 9y ago
    The plaintiff is the state. The defendant should not be held responsible for financial costs incurred by the state while gathering evidence.
    - posterboy 9y ago
      s/plaintiff/defendant/g # my bad

azernik 9y ago

The racial component in the US is such a hot-button issue not just because of the degree of racial discrimination, but also because the size and non-immigrant status of the black minority here.

PhasmaFelis 9y ago

> Actually I think the U.S. is ahead of Norway here, as cannabis has been decriminalized in several states in the U.S. Most states are still as bad as or worse than Norway, though. In terms of laws and regulation, US states are more like separate nations in many ways.

digi_owl 9y ago
> US states are more like separate nations in many ways. Indeed, though less so than before the civil war. Thus Brexit is an interesting test case for seeing if EU is able to "disassemble" without bloodshed.
- pjc50 9y ago
  That's going to depend entirely on the Irish border solution. I'm not sure it's a great test case given the total incompetence of how it's being handled.

paperpunk 9y ago

Apropos of nothing, but you mentioning that brought up a memory of when I was in Helsinki this summer: I took a taxi back to the airport early in the morning and the taxi driver (a black man) asked me (white) to sit in the front rather than the back, otherwise he would get stopped by police. Not necessarily something I was expecting in Norway. But what do I know?

halflings 9y ago
One reason why they might have asked you this is because working for services like Uber is illegal in Finland (Helsinki is not in Norway), and they might suspect that a darker skinned person driving with a white person at the back is more likely to be an Uber driver (Uber drivers are predominantly from an immigrant background, from personal experience). Still racial profiling, but maybe not as bad as being stopped for "only" being black.
- edmccard 9y ago
  >they might suspect that a darker skinned person driving with a white person at the back is more likely to be an Uber driver I think in Finland official taxis say "TAKSI" and have a yellow sign on the roof, so maybe they might suspect any unofficial-looking car with a driver in the front and the sole passenger in the back as being an Uber.
- AnssiH 9y ago
  > working for services like Uber is illegal in Finland (Helsinki is not in Norway) Not really true. However, you do need a taxi license, and many/most Uber drivers didn't have one.
Someone 9y ago
Not that Helsinki is in Finland, apparently :-)
AnssiH 9y ago
It is standard for taxi passengers to sit in the front in Finland, though.

tw04 9y ago

You do realize the current administration is actively trying to go after state governments that have decriminalized marijuana, right? http://www.newsweek.com/will-jeff-sessions-medical-marijuana-718676 http://www.newsweek.com/will-jeff-sessions-medical-marijuana...