Bad Bill Alert DrugWarRant / Pete Guither / 09,22,2010 Remember that final scene in Harold and Kumar go to White Castle, where Kumar convinces Harold to go with him to Amsterdam, reminding him that marijuana is legal in the Netherlands? Well, that might just get them thrown in jail for “conspiracy to commit, at any place outside the United States, an act that would constitute a violation of the U.S. Controlled Substances Act if committed within the United States,” under an extremely bad new law proposed by Representative Lamar Smith of Texas that might be voted on today. The Drug Policy Alliance has an alert on it and is urging people to call Nancy Pelosi at 202-225-0100 and urging to stop the bill from going forward. They note: The Drug Trafficking Safe Harbor Elimination Act of 2010 (H.R. 5231), introduced by Rep. Lamar Smith (the only House member to speak against reforming the racist crack/powder disparity), seeks to authorize U.S. criminal prosecution of anyone in the U.S. suspected of conspiring with one or more persons, or aiding or abetting one or more persons, to commit at any place outside the United States an act that would constitute a violation of the U.S. Controlled Substances Act if committed within the United States. These penalties apply even if the controlled substance is legal under some circumstances in the other country. An American treatment provider working with doctors in England, Denmark, Germany, or Switzerland to provide heroin assisted treatment and sterile syringes to heroin users in those countries could face arrest. As could an otherwise law-abiding American planning with some friends to use marijuana legally in the Netherlands while on vacation there. Even though this bill references drug trafficking in the title, it also criminalizes conspiring to possess and use marijuana or other drugs in other countries if more than one person is involved – even if drug use is decriminalized in that country. Thus, it imposes America’s harsh drug policies on other countries, and further criminalizes a health issue. The bill’s title is very misleading. Even when applied against drug traffickers, The Drug Trafficking Safe Harbor Elimination Act would likely perpetuate injustice. Under U.S. drug conspiracy laws a person can be found guilty even when there are no drugs or other physical evidence involved. The uncorroborated word of someone pointing fingers to get a reduced sentence is all it takes. Moreover anyone convicted of being part of a drug conspiracy is punished not for the offense they actually committed but for all the offenses committed by members in the conspiracy. This has led to very low-level, impoverished, first-time offenders receiving sentences that are decades long. Conspiracy laws drive the so-called “girlfriend problem” whereby thousands of women every year are sentenced to harsh sentences for the crimes of their abusive partners. The United States houses 5% of the world’s population but 25% of its incarcerated population. This excess of incarceration is a direct result of punitive and ineffective drug laws, which are currently crippling our social and economic resources. Trends in the U.S. are shifting toward alternative sentencing and away from the policies developed in the almost forty years since Nixon declared the “War on Drugs.” H.R. 5231 would be a detrimental step in the wrong direction. House Leadership should not bring this problematic bill up for a vote. It has only two cosponsors and wasn’t even considered in committee. It would be nice to see a bill like this one completely trashed in Congress. I would hope that the public relations success of the recent crack/powder sentencing disparity adjustment bill would help Congress realize that they don’t have to vote in favor of every stupid draconian drug law. That in fact, it won’t make them more popular with their constituents.
With all the things that need fixing in our country, they decided to put effort towards arresting somebody who smokes a joint outside of the United States? I thought the War on Drugs was getting smaller, not larger.
Thats horrible. How can that even be a crime? If it passes, I will lose any faith I have left in these damn "politicians".
at least they'll cut themselves when they wipe their asses with the constitution, that thing is anything but soft.
This is why I hate this country with such a passion. my own damn country, and I despise it.... We have to be the police of the world don't we? Just so our country can make a few extra bucks too....
to me, this is a sign that they're getting desperate to protect their funding. it's a bullshit bill too... what's next... living with a stoner is going to be considered a crime now too? godwin me all you like, but this is starting to get mighty nazi-esque. (apologies to anyone that suffered the nazi party or knows someone that did... just using it as a parrellel.)
no its absolutely nazi-esque. Its not like these politicians are really stupid enough to believe the things they say. Its all lies, and they know they lie and their using those lies to persecute a certain group of people. and there is most certainly a separation between smokers and non smokers, and they are the ones who made the distinction in the first place. sure they're not putting people in concentration camps and ovens, but the cartels generated by prohibition certainly do kill people, and the government most certainly locks you away.
" The constitution was printed on hemp paper because hemp paper last longer than wood paper..... " It was printed on hemp paper because that was the best paper available and plentiful but whether our forefathers had any idea that it would last longer is questionable. I am not even sure they had "wood" paper in those times,since Dupont had not invented the chemicals used to process pulpwood then. If memory is correct,they had paper made from wheat straw,hemp and rice straw,and maybe some other fibrous plants. Dupont was one of the biggest supporters for getting hemp banned,because they owned the patents on the chemicals required to process pulpwood into paper. And they were developing synthetic fabrics,nylon and rayon,but they could not compete with hemp for cost of production.
That's a myth. the final copies are written on parchment paper. It was rumored to be drafted on Dutch hemp paper, however, according to Monticello.org, it was more likely to have been made from flax or linen.
All of the problems in this country and they're worried about someone smoking in Amsterdam? The drug war has gone on for far to long
wow,really?this is the most retarded bill i've seen since the bill to make marijuana illegal,now we can't even mention it?What's going to happen to gangsta rap?