cannabisnews.com: Sentencing Guidelines Toughened for Ecstasy 





Sentencing Guidelines Toughened for Ecstasy 
Posted by FoM on March 20, 2001 at 21:11:11 PT
By Peter Slevin, Washington Post Staff Writer
Source: Washington Post
Taking emergency action, the U.S. Sentencing Commission yesterday sharply increased the guideline penalties for selling the party drug ecstasy. Beginning May 1, the punishment for importing or selling the "hug drug" will be more severe than for peddling powder cocaine.The new sentencing guidelines to be followed by federal judges will roughly triple the likely prison term for sale of 200 grams of ecstasy -- about 800 pills -- from 15 months to five years. The penalty for sale of 8,000 pills will rise from 41 months to 120 months.
Advocates of higher penalties, including the Justice Department, contend the punishment is needed to curb the dramatic increase in the drug's use in recent years, particularly among teenagers and young adults. They say the federal law is targeted at manufacturers, importers and dealers, not adolescents at rave parties.Opponents told the commission that ecstasy is not as addictive or destructive as the opiates and hallucinogens that have inspired similarly long sentences. Several medical researchers challenged studies that indicated a link to long-term physiological harm, arguing that ecstasy is far less dangerous than heroin, cocaine or methamphetamine.A group of leading neuroscientists and drug policy specialists operating under the umbrella of the Federation of American Scientists this week criticized proposed sentencing guidelines as "grossly disproportionate" to the dangers presented by ecstasy. While stating that abuse of the drug poses risks, the group said there was "no justification" in terms of policy or pharmacology for an increase in punishment.Ecstasy is a stimulant combined with a mild hallucinogen, and is typically sold for $20 to $40 in tablets that weigh a quarter-gram. Hundreds of thousands of high school students use the drug on an average weekend, studies suggest.-- Peter Slevin Source: Washington Post (DC) Author: Peter Slevin, Washington Post Staff WriterPublished: Wednesday, March 21, 2001; Page A17 Address: 1150 15th Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20071Copyright: 2001 The Washington Post Company Contact: letterstoed washpost.comWebsite: http://www.washingtonpost.com/Feedback: http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/edit/letters/letterform.htm Related Articles:U.S. Panel Weighs Tougher Penalties for 'Ecstasy' http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9073.shtmlScientists Oppose Punishing 'Ecstasy' More Harshlyhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9056.shtmlCannabisNews Articles - Ecstasyhttp://cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=ecstasy 
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Comment #5 posted by kaptinemo on March 21, 2001 at 05:36:44 PT:
1937, all over again.
If you recall, the only qualified medical expert at the Marijuana Tax Act hearings in 1937 had argued against MJ prohibition, and for the same reasons:..."grossly disproportionate" to the dangers... I view what was done in much the same way as 4D, but with a twist: what we are witnessing is the same kind of thing you see on Cable TV animal shows. You have the alpha male anthropoids of the herd making dominating threat gestures to cow the lesser members of the tribe - to show them who's boss. Never mind that we're right and they aren't; it all comes down to power. It's the nature of these creatures to do the same to inanimate objects or forces of Nature; they'd bellow at the sky for raining on them.The antis will make more and more of these 'threat gestures' as they realize they are losing power. The trick is to be elsewhere when they start hooting and screeching in anger and throwing tree branches and rocks.
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Comment #4 posted by Ethan Russo, MD on March 21, 2001 at 05:36:22 PT:
More Nonsense
"Ecstasy is a stimulant combined with a mild hallucinogen"Things are sufficiently difficult without such misleading and inaccurate statements by reporters. Although MDMA is chemically related to stimulants, it is not a combination with anything, but rather, is a single substance. It is also not a "hallucinogen" but rather an "entactogen."Beyond that, what see see here is the usual pattern of nonsense. A bunch of ignorant politicians engage in feel-good (to them) policies based on ideology ("for the children!") while ignoring testimony from scientists. What results is bad policy, public scorn and disrespect for the law and its processes. 
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Comment #3 posted by dddd on March 20, 2001 at 22:40:00 PT
Thanks FoM
Fortunately,incense and candles are part of my normal stuff.I even have extrasin my earthquake survival kit,,plenty of matches too,with other things to light upthe darkness.JAH shine on you...........LoL...........d
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on March 20, 2001 at 22:12:10 PT
Hey dddd
Hi dddd,Watch out for power surges but I'm sure you know that. Computers don't like them. I know all to well. Stay safe and keep your candles handy. A little incense would be nice too! LOL! Seriously I hope you don't keep losing your electric.
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Comment #1 posted by dddd on March 20, 2001 at 21:57:18 PT
a new source of inmates
 This was an "emergency action",by the sentencing commission.It is not easyfor me to avoid the krass explectives I would like to use in commenting on thisabsurd abuse of authority. These BASTARDS completely ignored the recommendations of the medical,and scientific community.I think perhaps they are planning ahead for the coming fragmentation of draconiandrug laws,and they need to insure that they have some backup prison fodder,,warmbodies to make sure they can keep all those new prison cells occupied.This really pisses me off,,,,but that's nothing new....I gotta go,I think a "rolling blackout" might happen soon.....dddd
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