cannabisnews.com: Senator Opposes Lessening Pot-Possession Penalties Senator Opposes Lessening Pot-Possession Penalties Posted by CN Staff on March 25, 2009 at 06:21:40 PT By The Ridgefield Press Source: Ridgefield Press Connecticut -- Senator Toni Boucher (R-26) has called for the General Assembly to reject proposed legislation that would “erode the progress made over the years to combat marijuana usage.” Senator Boucher, whose district covers Ridgefield, recently testified before the legislature’s Judiciary Committee, opposing Senate Bill 349, An Act Concerning the Penalty for Possession of a Small Amount of Marijuana. The bill would decriminalize the possession of less than one ounce of marijuana by classifying it as an infraction. Currently, first time offenders convicted of possessing up to four ounces of marijuana are subject to a maximum fine of $1,000 and, or, a maximum prison sentence of one year. Subsequent offenses are subject to a maximum fine of $3,000 and, or, a maximum prison sentence of five years. “It seems surreal that the same General Assembly that legislatively addresses quality of life and health issues, like trans-fat and second-hand smoke, would ever consider a bill that decriminalizes a substance which has such noxious effects,” Senator Boucher said. “No elected official can ignore the social and health consequences that marijuana use imposes on the people of this country — particularly children who are much more vulnerable to harm and addiction. This bill undermines all the work and effort of drug prevention advocates and would put Connecticut on a path detrimental to the health and well being of its residents.”Senator Boucher challenged proponents’ claim that passing the bill would save money during this difficult economic time. Also, she said research shows most inmates convicted of marijuana possession were also charged with more serious crimes, and many enter guilty pleas to marijuana charges to avoid the more serious charges. “The number of less than one ounce marijuana possession cases is not even close to being significant enough to impact the caseload,” she said. “The courts will still operate during business hours and prosecutors and staff will still have plenty of cases to process. Less than one ounce possession cases are only a small drop in the judicial case backlog . . . The cost to our health care system, substance abuse treatment centers, mental health centers, and our foster care system would wipe out any previous savings it may potentially generate at first. This bill would still not accomplish the financial savings that the proponents proclaim.”Senator Boucher said evidence of the dangerous health effects of marijuana usage and the detrimental effects of illegal drug use on society should be enough to convince the General Assembly to reject this proposed legislation. “There is a great deal of research available on the effects of smoked marijuana,” she said. “In Connecticut alone, Yale University and the University of Connecticut Medical Societies have determined that smoked marijuana causes damages to the brain, heart, immune system, and lungs, as well as impairing learning and memory, and perception and judgment. There is now conclusive evidence that smoking marijuana gives you greater exposure to cancerous chemicals than from tobacco,” said Senator Boucher.She added, “research also shows a correlation between marijuana usage and an increased risk for developing mental disorders.” Source: Ridgefield Press, The (CT)Published: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 Copyright: 2009 Hersam Acorn NewspapersContact: newsroom acorn-online.comURL: http://drugsense.org/url/vZDODo97Website: http://drugsense.org/url/e6sByBX1Related Articles:State Considers Decriminalizing Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24616.shtmlLegislators Discuss Changes To Marijuana Lawhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24615.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #11 posted by GeoChemist on March 27, 2009 at 04:32:50 PT Lucas The fertilizer used by the tobacco industry, super-phosphate fertilizer adds to the problem, i.e. enhances up-take. The rocks containing the phosphate also house the radio-active isotopes associated with the uranium-238 decay series. U-238 occurs naturally and is generally the source of radon-222 gas in the home, so think of the tobacco plant as a house if you will. Every isotope in this decay series is meta-stable until lead-206 which is stable. Radon-222 is a gas and it is this gas the roots of the tobacco plant draw into its structure. The source rocks used for the fertilizer also contain these isotopes and add to the problem; like attracts like in this case due to the complex anions phosphates form. So the tobacco plant gets it from both ends; radon-222 gas being taken in through the root system and the accumulation of the other solid isotopes from the use of super-phosphate fertilizer. The most disturbing part is the tobacco companies know this yet continue to use this fertilizer. The above is a quick summary of this process, if you look this series up, keep this in mind; there are two types of decay associated with this process, alpha and beta. Beta decay is simply the release of an electron. Beta particles can penetrate tissue easily but it does not cause serious tissue damage in the short term but is detrimental over time. Alpha decay is the release of an alpha particle which is two protons and two neutrons, i.e. a helium nucleus. Alpha particles cannot penetrate tissue very well, BUT once inside the body, the alpha particle cause ten-fold the damage as a beta particle. Hope this clears some of this up for you. If you would like to know anything else, please feel free to email me. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by Lucas on March 26, 2009 at 06:56:56 PT Radioactive Lead > The tobacco plant is the ONLY KNOWN plant in the world that has the ability to accumulate radio-active isotopes (generally in the form of radon-222) into its structures (trichomes). I would like to learn more about this, "accumulate into its trichomes"I believe the Polonium isotope present in Rock Phosphate fertilizer, is the source of the Polonium in Tobacco. I thought it was dust from the fields, sticking to the plant.I did not know, and would like evidence, that the Tobacco plant is moving Polonium Systemically up its root system, and incorporating it INTO its trichomes. I dont think that is accurate, but am very interested in learning more. Please cite reference material for me to study.Again though, I agree that the reason modern tobacco smokers get cancer is due to the Radioactive Lead contaminating the tobacco, and its source is Rock Phosphate fertilizer applied to the fields. Thanks Lucas [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by vincent on March 25, 2009 at 18:29:47 PT: Comments by the republican state senator You will note that I used lower-case letters to describe Sen. Toni Boucher. That was not a mistake; it was a lack of respect! As for my reply to her tired comments, I just say, "No comment here, no comment at all". [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by MarijuanaSavesLives on March 25, 2009 at 10:43:09 PT Gotta love foaming at the mouth prohibies.... They are just so cuddly!You know I wonder do these people actually believe themselves or are they just evil???My stomach was doing just fine this morning....Then I had to read this...ewwwwGoin to have to smoke to get my appetite back. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Sam Adams on March 25, 2009 at 10:40:57 PT more! Ridgefield Press Editor: If you would like to supply the staffing so that we could do detailed stories on everything the area’s state senator proposes, we would be happy to accept your grant. Meanwhile, we feel it’s better that we at least let people know what is going on in the mind of our state senator. So you et al. can be forewarned.==================== Thank you for your e-mail, which will be given to the proper person. Best wishes, Jack Sanders, executive editor,Poor downtrodden editor, reduced to printing press releases as "news". puh-leeze, if you can't do the job right don't do it at all. How hard is it to hit the wire and pull some info from the AP feed? that's what I did when I was a news journalist. That would take 2-3 minutes tops. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Sam Adams on March 25, 2009 at 10:34:53 PT exchange between me and this newspaper Fighting the battle one editor at a time!Me:Wow, absolutely awful article on the marijuana bill. It looks like you printed a press release from Senator Boucher. This is not journalism. Where are the dissenting opinions?Them:It's not a debate story. It's just a report on what she is doing.==================== Thank you for your e-mail, which will be given to the proper person. Best wishes, Jack Sanders, executive editor, The Ridgefield Press 16 Bailey Avenue Ridgefield CT 06877 203-894-3350 www.TheRidgefieldPress.comMe:whatever it is, it's not journalism. It's Public Relations, or propagandaHere are a few examples of actual newspaper journalism:http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-marijuana-decriminalization-.artmar25,0,7649707.story http://www.connpost.com/ci_11986981 http://www.newstimes.com/latestnews/ci_11987010 [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Sam Adams on March 25, 2009 at 10:18:09 PT terrible did she pay this newspaper to issue her press release? This is ridiculous, most of the testimony was in favor of this bill, but you'd never know it.These upscale suburban towns are at the heart of the police state. The poor kids grow up in schools that are basically prisons, run by strict Puritan zealots [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by BGreen on March 25, 2009 at 09:58:05 PT Toni Boucher is a stupid misinformed hypocrite This dingbat has been screaming for years about the kids and the "harm" cannabis causes, but she testified about her husband on "high doses of morphine."This is what almost happened to my husband four years ago. On the last day of session, I was called to Norwalk Hospital Emergency room where my husband was in extreme and constant pain. After a week of unrelenting agony and high doses of morphine, it was determined that he had an enormous tumor intertwined in his spinal column. An incredibly dangerous and life-threatening operation on his spine to try to extricate it was our only recourse. This operation had only been preformed 5 or 6 times before. After 6 ˝ hours, the majority of the tumor was removed with only some residual damage to his nerve ending that controlled his ability to walk, afterward under going 2 years of successful therapy. This operation is now in the medical journals.Does her husband getting morphine make the confused little kiddies think that it's OK for them to use morphine (or heroin or oxycontin or dilaudid, etc.?)HELL NO!No, you see this hypocritical witch Toni Boucher only cared when it was HER husband in unrelenting agony and she didn't care what kind of dangerous and deadly narcotic was pumped into him.When it comes to the thousands of people in unrelenting agony whose only relief comes from cannabis, Toni Boucher doesn't give a tinker's damn if they suffer until they die.What a cold-hearted bitch!The Reverend Bud Green Remarks by State Representative Toni Boucher [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by runruff on March 25, 2009 at 08:38:37 PT I said, "HUH!" “erode the progress made over the years to combat marijuana usage.” Maybe 10,000 marihuana smokers in 1937. Mostly black and white musicians and Mexican farm workers.Today, what 100 million.[It must be the methane poisoning speaking!] [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by GeoChemist on March 25, 2009 at 07:06:19 PT I'm on a roll today I sent this email to this thing calling herself a lawmaker. I dare any politician or member of law enforcement to debate chemicals and chemical toxicity with me.Dear Madam,When it comes to the topic of cannabis, I as well as INDEPENDENT research disagree with you whole heartedly! The carcinogens in tobacco a FAR WORSE than the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons found in SMOKED cannabis! In fact anything combustible produces PAH's, the most notorious source of PAH's is the back yard grill. Tobacco is the MOST DEADLY and ADDICTIVE substance known to mankind, fits the definition of a schedule I drug to the tee and yet it is legal for ADULTS to CHOOSE to USE. The carcinogen in tobacco responsible for the damage is lead-210 with a half-life of 22 years. When tobacco smoke is inhaled, the isotope that is present is lead-210 and this is what is inhaled into the lungs. The isotope sits as lead-210 for ~22 years before decaying to bismuth-210 via beta decay. The bismuth-210 is stable for ~5 days before decaying to polonium-210 via beta decay. Here is where the REAL DAMAGE occurs. Polonium-210 stays stable for ~140 days, after this amount of time the polonium-210 decays via alpha decay to the stable isotope lead-206. The particle associated with alpha decay is in fact the most destructive of all decay particles once inside the human body. The tobacco plant is the ONLY KNOWN plant in the world that has the ability to accumulate radio-active isotopes (generally in the form of radon-222) into its structures (trichomes). As long as tobacco remains legal, NO substance should be illegal especially cannabis. Please keep your fascist ideology and morals to yourself and let SOUND science guide policy. A crime without a victim? MY BODY, MY CHOICE! I have more FACTS with credible references if needed. I would like to evaluate the studies you are citing to determine the credibility as that is what I do for a living.Brad D. Hega"Only a depraved government would invent a crime one commits against themselves" [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by christ on March 25, 2009 at 06:58:29 PT what happened to impartial articles? I feel embarrassed for leaders who go public with such uneducated statements. I really wanted to attack this one Boucher made but I couldn't even stoop to her level to understand what false claim she was trying to make. "...she said research shows most inmates convicted of marijuana possession were also charged with more serious crimes, and many enter guilty pleas to marijuana charges to avoid the more serious charges."Part of the reason i don't understand this is because she obviously favors prohibition, but she correctly identifies the distinction between mj charges and "serious" charges. Her statement also notes those charged with "serious" crimes are not being penalized as such... whereas had mj been decriminalized or legalized, they would have been charged with their serious crime.Can someone explain to me what she meant? I have no clue. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment