cannabisnews.com: District Toughens Marijuana Penalties District Toughens Marijuana Penalties Posted by FoM on July 11, 2000 at 23:01:01 PT By Allan Lengel, Washington Post Staff Writer Source: Washington Post The D.C. Council voted yesterday to toughen the maximum penalties for the distribution of marijuana, making the offense a felony subject to a five-year prison term rather than a one-year misdemeanor. U.S. Attorney Wilma A. Lewis said she hopes the tougher penalties would help the city battle its open-air drug markets and make it less of a haven for marijuana peddlers, who cater to many suburban customers. "You go out in the community and you hear residents speaking of cars going through the neighborhood with Virginia and Maryland tags," she said. "The fact of the matter is, Maryland and Virginia laws were much stricter, and D.C. was the only jurisdiction that had no felony conviction for trafficking marijuana."The 11 to 2 vote came after council member Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) raised concerns that the measure could send someone who had shared a marijuana cigarette with an ailing friend to prison for up to five years. Council member Sandy Allen (D-Ward 8) also opposed the bill.Mendelson tried to amend the bill, but the effort was defeated, with some council members saying they didn't want to send a message that possessing any amount of marijuana is okay."If you happen to live in a community like mine, there is extreme hostility [toward] any sense of softening the laws," said council member Kevin P. Chavous (D-Ward 7).Under the measure, possession of any amount of marijuana remains a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail. However, the penalty for distribution or intent to distribute more than half a pound carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.The penalty for first-time offenders selling half a pound or less carries a maximum sentence of six months. But those convicted a second time can be sentenced to up to five years, regardless of the amount distributed.In Virginia, by contrast, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute any amount from a half-ounce to five pounds is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.Mendelson objected to the D.C. measure, using props to illustrate his point. He stacked before him 14 plastic containers of catnip, saying they represented half a pound of marijuana. He said someone caught for the first time with such an amount would be charged with a misdemeanor.Then he held up a mock marijuana cigarette, filled with catnip. He said a person with a conviction who possessed that cigarette only--possibly for medicinal purposes--could be charged with a felony punishable by five years in prison.Mendelson said Lewis assured him that her office wouldn't charge someone with a felony in such instances. But he said he was concerned that future prosecutors might not share her view.Eric H. Holder Jr. began pushing for tougher marijuana penalties in the District in 1996, when he was the U.S. attorney. Lewis resumed the campaign in April 1999 and expressed frustration in battling the city's burgeoning marijuana sales and the increasing violence that accompanied them.The bill was opposed by supporters of the medicinal use of marijuana and, as council member Charlene Drew Jarvis (D-Ward 4) once put it, "yuppies and buppies," among others.Wayne Turner, a backer of the District's medical marijuana initiative--which voters approved in November 1998 but Congress has blocked--criticized yesterday's vote."I guess my biggest fear is that patients who may be using medical marijuana may now be turned into felons," Turner said. "I just wish the council members were more interested in doing the bidding of the voters of Washington D.C., rather than the U.S. attorney's office."By Allan LengelWashington Post Staff WriterWednesday, July 12, 2000; Page B01 © 2000 The Washington Post Company Related Articles & Web Site:ACT UP Washington DChttp://www.actupdc.org/Lax Laws Make D.C. Haven For Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread4309.shtmlSofter Marijuana Lawshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread4257.shtmlMarijuana Laws in District Called Lax http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread4128.shtml In Washington, The Majority May Not Always Rule http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread3039.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #12 posted by dddd on July 13, 2000 at 03:15:23 PT Hey Will pt.2 " If you do'ntlive under the rule of LAWS you can go to Afg. and try those laws." I agree Will,laws are necessary,but there comes a time,when lawmaking gets out of hand,and people who make the LAWS,,,start making LAWS that are in the interests of the LAWmakers,and their contributers. Perhaps you think that any and all LAWS,are right and good,and should be obeyed regardless of their constitutionality,or reasonable basis? Just because things are better here than in Afganistan,doesn't mean that things are right here. Step back and look at the big picture...........dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by dddd on July 13, 2000 at 01:47:43 PT Hey Will Greetings. While I respect your views,I think they are somewhat distorted.If things continue with the insanity of the drug war,,we wont need to move to Afganistan.They will happily lock us up here at home.....I agree with you,in that I would rather be behind bars here,than in Afganistan......dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by Will on July 12, 2000 at 15:18:26 PT drugs Russia went in to Afganestan for one reson only and that is to OPIUM and more of other drugs. Now we have them out and YOU want the dope to come HERE again. I can only say you are very short-sited and would not care how many children are becomeing adicts to live in the street and maybe hook your kid to the same misry. If you do'nt live under the rule of LAWS you can go to Afg. and try those laws. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by kaptinemo on July 12, 2000 at 13:31:56 PT: What comes around... In the final days of Nixon's regime, he had written up an 'enemies list', populated primarily with Jews, who were to be rounded up in the event of an Executive Order 11490 type 'national emergency'.Care to hazard any guesses if such a list exists today? Especially since EO 11490 was never rescinded? And the DrugWarriors have done their level best to portray the Drugwar as a 'national emergency', a 'threat to national security'? Hitler wasn't shy about broadcasting his intentions for the Jews; he said very clearly what he wanted to do to them as far back as 1923. Too many good people dismissed him as (rightly) being a nut. And look where it got them; 'relocated' into the upper atmosphere via the crematoriums. We have already heard the likes of Gates and Bennett calling for our executions; don't you think that for every loudmouth ass there aren't 9 other silent partners just chomping at the bit to carry out their suggestions?Yes, we are the 'enemy' this time around. The real proponents of freedom usually are. Don't ever forget that. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by mo-money on July 12, 2000 at 12:46:18 PT mo-money thanks for the pay raise d.c., i was looking for a reason to raise my prices.i can now make 300,000 a year rather than 200,000.keep up the good work. p.s.don't legalize just yeti am still working on my first million dollars. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Dan Hillman on July 12, 2000 at 11:00:45 PT enemies...not! The goverment doesn't see citizens as enemies. It sees them as profit generators!http://www.unicor.gov/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by dddd on July 12, 2000 at 08:02:49 PT enemy,,,who? I concur with Rainbow about being considered as an "enemy",by our own government.....It is indeed,,,quite disturbing to be considered an enemy target of a government that is using tax money to track you down,and lock you up. It makes one feel rather strange,when ya think about being forced to contribute to those who consider you "the enemy".......dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by rainbow on July 12, 2000 at 06:39:41 PT The Russians I work with Russians here and abroad and they are pretty nice people. They like beer and hey so do I. They are pretty good programmers too, they need a little updating but they work hard.Yes the government is one big Orwellian propaganda machine and we are paying for it.Some day this country will have a minor revolt and hopefully it will be peaceful. The feds seem to want it. It would be a great way to search us out and shoot us as enemy of the state and do it with the legal beagles saying "Just make sure their backs are not towards you".My brother recently was promoted in the Navy and he had to pledge to a statement. It kinda scared me. He said he would defend the constitution (whatever that is now) against enemies both in and out of the USA.I asked him later who the enemy is in the USA and I got well the terrorists etc.My realization struck home; their enemy are people like the the kids at Kent state, or the "radicals" in Chicago, or the peaceful writer in california or the Nuns at the College of the Americas, Mr Pax, Mr Dorismond, etc. It is us who have a little morality in our makeup.Am I paranoid? Maybe.PeaceTom [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by dddd on July 12, 2000 at 06:27:27 PT Russians MikeEEEEE.......The Russian people are great.I traveled in the Soviet Union in 1976,and the only people who were not nice,or,"evil",were the brainwashed,oppressed government people,(customs,,KGB). It's true around the world;governments and people in power make evil empires.Most people who are the citizens of the empire,are good people who live in fear of their ruling entities.......dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by MikeEEEEE on July 12, 2000 at 05:55:49 PT Propaganda dddd, I've met some Russians recently, they're not the evil people they told us about in the media propaganda [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by dddd on July 12, 2000 at 03:19:52 PT votes? "I am becoming increasinglyconvinced that those who claim to be our representatives are not voted in at all--that maybe the elections arerigged,"......I know what you mean Dan.Even if elections aren't rigged in the traditional third world way,,they are definitly rigged in the big money,2 party,closed debates way.(not to mention the absurd electoral college scam). It seems to me,,us taxpaying citizens are excluded from voting on most of the things that directly affect our lives...Then,when we do vote for something,it is inexplicably overruled somehow by federal bigdog neo-natzi demagogs. I was Disgusted and outraged when we voted in prop 215,here in CA,,,,and it was immediatly attacked by the fed. gov.,,and the will of the people was basically ignored....All this was nothing,compared to the flabbergasting arrogance of barr and his henchmen trying to block the release of voting results......It makes you wonder,,who are these people,and who elected them? There is no reason why the public should not vote on things like the recent Colombian sham,(which is dwarfed by the real big ticket items.,,they toss around billions of our money as if it was chum),,,,,It's kinda like we are given a fake choice of who,or what to vote on,and it becomes an advanced way of "rigging" elections. Ronnie called the Soviet Union the "evil empire"...It seems to me that our dimented,out of control governments evil empire,makes the former soviets look stupid and crude.We think our votes matter like they are supposed to,so we assume the majority approves of what is going on. Why shouldnt someone with the title;"czar",,not be elected by the people?............Keep the Faith......dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Dan B on July 12, 2000 at 01:10:59 PT: "Elected Representatives"? --"I guess my biggest fear is that patients who may be using medical marijuana may now be turned into felons," Turner said. "I just wish the council members were more interested in doing the bidding of the voters of Washington D.C., rather than the U.S. attorney's office."Thanks, Mendelson, Allen and Turner. Yep, this was the same city that overwhelmingly passed a medical marijuana initiative, only to have Congress tear it up and toss it in the fire. Their response, any time the people vote against DEA opinion, is "the people must not have understood what they were voting for. Now we'll have to correct those silly voters by legislating what we think they really meant." What must be done in order to convince voters to vote these scoundrels out of office? I am becoming increasingly convinced that those who claim to be our representatives are not voted in at all--that maybe the elections are rigged, just like the U. S. government has been involved in rigging Mexico's elections.See this site: Narco News [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: