In other words, addicts would get medical assistance instead of jail time. There is, of course, a spectrum of scenarios between legalization and de-criminalization that involves a variety of different approaches to different questions e.g.;
Would it be legal to grow/make and sell drugs or only for personal use?
How available would drugs be (by prescription only, Over the counter, in vending machines)?
On Sunday, October 20, 2002, at 04:10 PM, Michael Hohmann wrote:
All these comments on legalizing illicit drugs raises a question in my mind;
from a legal perspective, what is the difference between legalization and
decriminalization? Seems a primary intent is to take the profits and
violence out of these enterprises... How do the two concepts differ? Could
the city (county or state) be any more effective in one area vs. the other?
Does the city/county even hold any standing in any of these areas- or is it
a moot point at this level? Any legal scholars, jail-house lawyers, or
informed list members care to comment?
Michael Hohmann
Linden Hills
-----Original Message-----_______________________________________
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:mpls-admin@;mnforum.org]On Behalf Of
Anderson & Turpin
Sent: Sunday, October 20, 2002 3:31 PM
To: mpls@mnforum
Subject: [Mpls] Legalize drugs now
I've been thinking about the issue of drug legalization ever since Eddie
Felien posted his pro-legalization comments here. While I still
don't think
a candidate for county office cam have much effect on the Drug War in
Minneapolis, I do think we could form a drug legalization nexus in
Minneapolis that might then spread to the rest of the State.
Towards the end of Jesse Ventura's run for governor four years ago, Jesse
said something about legalizing drugs. All the Dem and Rep political
analysts then said Jesse's comments proved that he wasn't a real
candidate,
because of his off-the-wall legalization comments. I was so ticked off at
these commentators that I voted for Jesse (up to that point I was leaning
towards Coleman). I wonder how many other people voted for him
for the same
reason. I think there is a pretty large contingent of people who realize
that the dangers of illegal drugs are dwarfed by the already existent
dangers of the Drug War. I also suspect that the largest contingent of
these people is in Minneapolis.
Past attempts to legalize marijuana failed because the legalization
advocates were too narrowly focused. Legalization was the only thing they
lived for. Thus the failure of the Grassroots Party, and NORML
before that.
What we need to do is get politicians with full agendas to accept that the
legalization of drugs as an important crime-fighting tool. I think most
politicians have seen such a position as death to their political career
because it seems so far out. But I believe that so many of us in
Minneapolis have had direct experience with many of these drugs (including
our politicians), that we know that the drugs aren't nearly so bad as the
violence that occurs when you push the sale and use of them
underground. So
it shouldn't be political death in Minneapolis to take a pro-legalization
stance, and should even earn the candidate a few votes.
This will only work if we have state-wide candidates pushing this agenda,
because they are the only ones who can affect the laws. Even state-wide
there are limitations as to what they can do, but MN should be
able to have
some affect without the FBI breathing down our necks.
Therefore, I ask the state-wide candidates on this List to come
out in favor
of drug legalization. It doesn't have to be full legalization -
it could be
just legalization of "lighter" drugs, along with regulation of these drugs
much like we do today with alcoholic beverages. We need to legalize more
than marijuana however. To have a major effect on crime we also need to
legalize cocaine (including crack, of course). And it will help immensely
if it's a tri-partisan movement, so that the party left out doesn't get
political capital by attacking the movement.
Kevin Trainor - show us that central city Republicans don't
believe that the
only way to stop drugs is to throw all them druggies in jail.
Phyllis Kahn - show us that being part of the DFL doesn't mean
that you just
favor the status quo. Does the DFL truly want to slow down crime?
Holle Brian - this should be easiest politically for you, considering the
counterculture origins of most of the Greens - probably most of them would
love legalization (every time I hear Tricomo I wonder what he's been
smoking).
And the same to the rest of the state-wide candidates that don't come to
mind right now.
This truly is a Minneapolis issue because this movement needs to
start here.
It truly could be political death for an outstate politician to suggest
legalization. However once several legislators from Minneapolis favor
legalization, then it becomes a more mainstream position. At that point,
some outstate politicians could at least weigh the possibilities
in public,
without killing their careers.
Mark Anderson
Bancroft
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Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
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