cannabisnews.com: House Rejects Making Marijuana a Misdemeanor





House Rejects Making Marijuana a Misdemeanor
Posted by CN Staff on April 07, 2003 at 16:12:55 PT
By Tim Talley, Associated Press Writer
Source: Oklahoman
Oklahoma City - People arrested with small amounts of marijuana can still be charged with a felony in Oklahoma after the state House defeated legislation Monday that would have made it a misdemeanor. The House voted 84-13 against the Senate-passed bill that supporters said would help cut down on crowded court dockets and free up law enforcement agencies to investigate more serious crimes.
"It's a significant burden to the court system," said the measure's author, Rep. Bill Nations, D-Norman. Opponents countered that reducing the criminal status of possession of small amounts of marijuana would also reduce the deterrent effect of a felony charge. "We are in no way endorsing the use of marijuana," Nations said. Nations said the bill is similar to a city ordinance in Norman that makes possession of less than one ounce of marijuana a misdemeanor. Language that would make the change was stripped from the measure in the Senate but would have been restored when it reached a joint House-Senate conference committee, Nations said. "I'm looking for significant alternative penalties," he said. Nations kept the measure alive by holding it for reconsideration of the vote in the next three legislative days. Nations said he plans to send the bill back to committee for more work. "It is a political firecracker," Nations said. The Oklahoma Sentencing Commission has recommended that possession of small amounts of marijuana be a misdemeanor. Officials said reducing the severity of the offense would relieve overcrowding in the state's courts and prison system. The commission said the recommendation is supported by the Department of Public Safety, which said troopers would rather write citations for minor marijuana possession offenses than take three hours arresting and booking an offender. "It would leave them out there to enforce major crimes," said Sen. Jerry Smith, R-Tulsa, head of the Sentencing Commission Under current law, first offense possession of marijuana can be either a misdemeanor or a felony. Second and third offenses are felonies punishable by as little as two and as much as 20 years in prison. A study by the Sentencing Commission released last month found that 20 percent of the 7,324 offenders who were sent to prison in 2001 were sentenced for drug possession. The average prison sentence for drug possession was five years, 4 months. Complete Title: House Rejects Making Marijuana Possession a MisdemeanorSource: Oklahoman, The (OK)Author: Tim Talley, Associated Press WriterPublished: April 07, 2003Copyright: 2003 The Oklahoma Publishing Co.Contact: yourviews oklahoman.comWebsite: http://www.oklahoman.com/Related Articles:Marijuana Decriminalization Advanceshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15807.shtmlLawmakers Looking To Cut Prison Populationhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15680.shtmlPanel Suggests Ways To Ease Prison Crowding http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15673.shtml 
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on April 08, 2003 at 20:11:11 PT
aocp
I understand. My blood boils about issues like this often.You're welcome and I'm glad I could help.
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Comment #14 posted by aocp on April 08, 2003 at 19:40:44 PT
FoM
thanx for the picture. My resolve FOR cannabis is never going to waver, but it's moments like that that make my blood boil and make me want to keep on keepin' on, y'know? Also, thanx for keeping up on the messages. You are truly an inspiration. Keep on stickin' it to the man ... aocp out.
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Comment #13 posted by John Tyler on April 08, 2003 at 10:04:29 PT
Re: Maryland
I'm glad the governor was able to stand up to the White House pressure tactics. I bet he won't be getting any invitations to come over and visit anymore though.Did anyone notice how sloppyly the newspaper article was worded, "legalizing medical marijuana", then it says later there will be a $100 fine for possession instead of the usual $1,000? I'm not a legal scholar, but if something has a fine attached to it, it sure isn't legal. 
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on April 08, 2003 at 08:11:05 PT
aocp 
His name is Will Foster. Here's a picture of Will with Ed Rosenthal's children. He had a web site but I just checked and the link didn't work.http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/edrone.jpg
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Comment #11 posted by aocp on April 08, 2003 at 07:54:05 PT
i have special feelings for OK
oklahoma is as bassackwards a state as there ever was. It's no mistake that it's on the border with tx. this is the state where a guy got 99 years for growing some cannabis for MMJ reasons, i believe. what was his name? oh, i know he got the charge reduced and all, but these idiots deserve keating and all the rest of the thugs who are afraid of the BIG, BAD PLANT!! **BOO!!!**
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on April 07, 2003 at 22:35:20 PT
Virgil
It's all squashed! It looks like big slabs of hashish! I know it isn't but it is really squashed! 
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on April 07, 2003 at 22:31:32 PT
The Governor Will Sign The Bill!
I know it isn't much but it sure is better then nothing and it is good because it is Maryland. Ehrlich Surprised by Budget Successes April 8, 2003Washington TimesMedical Marijuana Issue in Article:  Lawmakers clashed over key bills, such as those allowing in-state tuition and driver's licenses for illegal immigrants, legalizing medical marijuana, and increasing filing fees for businesses.   The medical marijuana bill, which reduced penalties to $100 for possession out of medical necessity passed with bipartisan support in both chambers. The governor yesterday signaled his intention to sign the bill into law, despite aggressive lobbying from such sources as President Bush.   "I have this individual streak that people have noticed over the years," Mr. Ehrlich said. "That's me and that's this administration."   He also said the public would be able to discriminate between recreational marijuana use and medical-necessity use by terminal or chronically ill patients.Complete Article: http://washingtontimes.com/metro/20030408-119710.htm
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Comment #8 posted by Virgil on April 07, 2003 at 19:33:41 PT
A picture of a real crime
There are two links from DEAwatch worth reading. The first one has a picture of the Mexicans burning bails of cannabis- http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/20030407-9999_1m7drugs.html This article says marijuana seizures were down 59% from 2001 to 2002 in the Mexican state of Baja CaliforniaThis article is about trouble getting substances tested in Maryland as well as drug testing of people appearing in court- http://www.sunspot.net/news/local/bal-md.drugs07apr07,0,392042.story?coll=bal-local-headlines
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on April 07, 2003 at 19:09:57 PT
delariand 
Thank you for the article. I appreciate it and your concern about what is going on in Cuba. Between doing CNews and the war I'm frazzled. If they killed Hussein maybe things will get a little better and that would be such a blessing. I'm tired of people getting killed. It really bothers me. 
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on April 07, 2003 at 18:51:11 PT
mayan and everyone
Here's a picture of one of the injuries at the protest.http://media.abcnews.com/images/autowirestory/AP/CAPS105040714.jpeg
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on April 07, 2003 at 18:29:03 PT
delariand 
I checked out the article but I don't really know anything about Cuba so I shouldn't comment. I find trying to keep up on the war in Iraq hard enough for me to try to figure out. I wonder how all the young people feel about this war since they might have to serve? The draft could be activated and that would be that. How do they feel about going to war and maybe losing their life for the USA. At the minimum they could get sick from all the chemicals they will be exposed too.Breaking News: They just said they think they might have killed Hussein and at least one of his sons.
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Comment #4 posted by mayan on April 07, 2003 at 18:20:57 PT
Bozos...
"The commission said the recommendation is supported by the Department of Public Safety, which said troopers would rather write citations for minor marijuana possession offenses than take three hours arresting and booking an offender."If these bozos would rather have their police filling out paperwork than fighting real crime, that's their problem.Here comes revolution...Oakland Police Open Fire On Protesters, Longshoremen:
http://www.ktvu.com/news/2094673/detail.html 9/11 CitizensWatch:
http://www.911citizenswatch.org/Group Pledges to Monitor Government 9/11 Commision: http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0304/S00027.htmTop 11 Question/Talking Points for 9/11 Commision:http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0303/S00255.htmVoices of 9/11 Calls For Answers:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0304/S00059.htmA 9/11 Victim Asks For Answers:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0304/S00045.htmComplete Timeline Presentation To 911 Presser:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0304/S00029.htm9/11 Prior Knowledge/Government Involvement Archive: http://www.propagandamatrix.com/archiveprior_knowledge
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Comment #3 posted by delariand on April 07, 2003 at 18:01:28 PT
hey FOM and others
Read this story about recent happenings in Cuba:http://www.msnbc.com/news/897037.aspIt's laughable that the US State Department has the audacity to call those proceedings a kangaroo court when a man can be convicted of felony marijuana cultivation after being contracted and deputized by the city of Oakland to legally do so.
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Comment #2 posted by pokesmotter on April 07, 2003 at 17:59:18 PT:
why?
why is being caught with a small amount of pot a felony?!!?a felony conviction is going to follow you like a dark shadow.why it was so decidedly defeated i beyond me...oh wait i know; closed minds.
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Comment #1 posted by freedom fighter on April 07, 2003 at 17:20:08 PT
I wonder
like it or not, I really wonder, how many pot smokers were arrested the day Tim drove by with his truck toward Okla.City..Sadpazff
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