A judge in Alabama recently sentenced a 40-year-old man there to 3 years in prison and 2 years of probation, after he was caught growing 7 marijuana plants in his backyard.
Jurors have been encouraged in the past not just to judge the case itself but the law itself as well, despite many judges and other participants in the legal system today being unaware or not in favor of such a notion.
For his first trial, it ended up with a hung jury because that one juror wouldn't waver on his belief that cannabis shouldn't be illegal and therefore despite whatever evidence they had he wouldn't give a guilty verdict. However, the man was later convicted at his second trial over the incident.
In some states, people are now allowed to grow their own cannabis plants and there is no real local threat against them for doing so, despite federal prohibition which still remains. And yet, here is a man who along with many others like him is being locked in a cage over it, and denied his freedom.
Whether people are growing plants, smoking plants, eating plants, or trading plants, all of those actions are voluntary; they're personal choices. And it's an unjust violation of human rights to initiate violence against someone for such an action.
Alabama specifically, has had a serious issue with overcrowding in their prisons, to the point that they've been previously investigated by the DOJ to see if the conditions promote danger for both officers and inmates. The conditions at their facilities in the state have been described as horrendous, and that's no surprise considering that dozens of sheriffs there have been sued over allegations that they've been misusing prisoner food funds, among other issues.
Law enforcement in Alabama, as in other areas, remain adamant on harassing people and violating the rights of Americans because of a few plants. And we all know that there are other causes out there, situations that involve property right violations and true victims, that should warrant their attention before a few plants should.
It's time for them to switch direction and adjust their priorities.
At the end of the day it's the people who suffer, because they are the ones who pay the price. They are the ones who have to have their rights infringed upon because the power-hungry won't acknowledge their inherent right to make their own personal choice about what they put into their body.
Pics:
Doug Shutter via Shutterstock
endthedrug war via pics.onsizzle.com
EstroHaze
Sources:
http://www.enewscourier.com/news/local_news/athens-pot-grower-must-serve-years-of--year-sentence/article_611ea840-2326-11e8-9dd9-e7b33bd8a3b4.html
https://www.thecannabist.co/2018/03/11/alabama-marijuana-plants-prison/101056/
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/28/us/alabama-prison-violence.html
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/violent-overcrowded-alabama-prisons-hit-a-breaking-point%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B
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that's just.. crazy! so glad to live in Spain where buying and smoking is legal for residents :)
This story is sick! And that judge should be prosecuted and held accountable!
Prosecuted in what court? One like his? It's a monopoly.
The people's court
The War on Plants and People, er, "Drugs" is one of the most sinister attacks on individual freedom that the USSA FedGov has ever concocted. People lose years of their lives, or their actual lives, due to this pseudo moral crusading. The fact that pharmaceutical companies, alcohol distributors, and the prison guard unions are 3 of the loudest voices (and 3 of the largest lobbyists) for keeping voluntary interactions deemed "illegal" is much of what you need to know. This is nothing but cronyist (fascist) revenue generation at its "finest". #NurembergTrialsForAllDrugWarriors
Wow... that's crazy. In Belgium where I grew up, you wouldn't even get a fine. They would destroy the plants though. So strange the law still doesn't want to accept this as a medicine everywhere in the world.
Until people wake up to the mountain of lies we are told in schools and in the media, this stupidity will continue.
Hemp can be clothing, rope, fuel, paper products, and medicine. It, like many things, was outlawed so that the few could make money while polluting and exploiting the people and the land.
Thanks for this informative post @doitvoluntarily.
It's sad how corruption has eaten deep into the judiciary system.
Why would you jail an adult 40yr old male for growing a plant on his own property?.🤷
The funniest thing is so many of this holier than though, self-righteous and corrupt judges and government officials also smoke pot in their secret corners.
Annoying hypocrites.😡
A very interesting article on marijuana law enforcement issues. Hope to get a very fair to anyone on a joint occasion. Thank you for sharing information about the legal dilemma about cannabis plants.
Hi @doitvoluntarily, It's good post about corruption! I enjoyed your content. Keep up the good work.
It's always nice to see good content here on Steemit
Looking forward to more posts like this. The people are suffering because of the drug war especially cannabis. Real, good, affordable medicine is being denied to thise who need it the most. Corruption like this needs to be stopped. We need to begin to talk about what we can to stop it. We all know that it exists. How do we stop it? Thanks
I get that this is a pretty ridiculous sentence for such a thing, but maybe don't do things that are illegal and you won't get jail time at all.
Legality does not define morality though, and the threat of violence against peaceful people who have only violated an arbitrary legislative fiat is not a rational argument, but rather proof that reason is not being employed at all.
Every word of your mind, you wrote very well. Hopefully you'll be giving us a good post like this.
I would like to say you keep it up and well done.
More posts like this! A great read as usual, keep up the awesome work!
Fire Jeff Sessions.
We need a nice retroactive executive order that releases all these good people from prison and eliminates cannabis laws..
MAGA
Nice
Its so cool. Really good
Like seriously?.
You people are unbelievable.
That's why y'all get downvoted.
Always read a post well before commenting and if you don't understand the post, ask intelligible questions or walk away.
🤦
Sorry if I made it hard for you to interpret.
From your post, I understand that corruption has eaten deep even into the government. And they desire to live above the law.
Forgive me if I still misunderstand your post and pls elaborate. Didnt have time to comment fully earlier.
Please do try to read and understand a post first before you comment.
It's not on every post you comment.
I appreciate your heeding to correction.
PS: It's not my post.
Ok, no problem
Make substantive comments. Don't offer meaningless platitudes. And don't self-upvote your comments on someone else's posts.
What's cool about people being caged for living their own lives?.
Did you even read his post?.