The news around Selma, LA, is something I have come to expect as I have been traveling the country over the last few months. The good news is that I live about 30 minutes from Selma, so there are plenty of things to do and see.
There are also lots of things to do and see in Selma, but the news that hits me the most is that our governor, Jerry Brown, is in town. In his first official act he is calling for all the remaining nonviolent demonstrators in Selma and other outlying areas to be arrested and charged with a misdemeanor. He is also pushing the DOJ to try and crack down on those who try to distribute the book, Selma: The Book, before the ACLU can.
Brown has been the governor of California since 1999. He was initially a Democrat but he switched to the GOP after he was elected. He has been in office for five years but has never served a full term.
In California, politicians can be punished for violating the state’s marijuana laws. For example, in 2008, Brown was convicted of marijuana possession by a jury. He was sentenced to six months in prison and was fined $500. The state of California also passed a law in 2011 that allows police to seize property from people who are deemed a threat to themselves or others. In other words, Brown was arrested for marijuana possession and now, presumably, he can be arrested for possessing or distributing marijuana.
The new law was passed specifically to punish people who were allegedly breaking state law by getting high on pot. If the state really wants to punish people who are using marijuana, they can just get rid of the entire state. Of course, that might be too much to ask of some politicians.
It’s actually pretty simple. If you want to get arrested for marijuana possession or possession with intent to distribute, just go to a library or a book store and get a book called, “The Law Of Possession.” It’s the same thing, but with a few more words in the title.
There was a lot of talk about the possible need to change the laws regarding possession of marijuana in California. State Senator Michael Bennet, the author of the bill, has called for a study on the issue during his upcoming session, so there might be some movement on this issue in the near future. That said, the proposed bill by Bennet would only apply to people who actually have actual possession of the drug.
No, but you could still be on probation for possession of a drug on the streets, but it would be much more difficult to get the authorities to actually punish you for your drug-related crime.
State Senator Michael Bennet has proposed a bill to allow people on probation to have their drug use legalized and regulated. This bill is a good first step, but it’s not the last. Bennet’s bill, the “Drug Control Reform and Oversight Act,” would also create a new drug task force. As of yet, its exact scope is unclear, but it would have authority to look at violations and determine if they are in the best interest of the community.