While Colorado and Washington have de-criminalized recreational use of marijuana and twenty states allow use for medical purposes, a Louisiana man was sentenced to twenty years in prison in New Orleans criminal court for possessing 15 grams, .529 of an ounce, of marijuana. Corey Ladd, 27, had prior drug convictions and was sentenced September 4, 2013 as a "multiple offender to 20 years hard labor at the Department of Corrections." Marijuana use still remains a ticket to jail in most of the country and prohibition is enforced in a highly racially discriminatory manner. A recent report of the ACLU, "The War on Marijuana in Black and White," documents millions of arrests for marijuana and shows the "staggeringly disproportionate impact on African Americans." Nationwide, the latest numbers from the FBI report that over 762,000 arrests per year are for marijuana, almost exactly half of all drug arrests. Even though blacks and whites use marijuana at similar rates, black people are 3.73 times more likely to be arrested for possession of marijuana than white people. For example, Louisiana arrests about 13,000 people per year for marijuana, 60% of them African Americans. Over 84 percent were for possession only. While Louisiana's population is 32 percent black, 60 percent of arrests for marijuana are African American making it the 9th most discriminatory state nationwide. In Tangipahoa Parish, blacks are 11.8 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana than whites and in St. Landry Parish the rate of black arrests for marijuana is 10.7 times as likely as whites, landing both parishes in the worst 15 in the country. In Louisiana, a person can get up to six months in jail for first marijuana conviction, up to five years in prison for the second conviction and up to twenty years in prison for the third. In fact, the Louisiana Supreme Court recently overturned a sentence of five years as too lenient for a fourth possession of marijuana and ordered the person sentenced to at least 13 years. Jack Cole of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) argues that "the "war on drugs" has been, is, and forever will be, a total and abject failure. This is not a war on drugs, this is a war on people, our own people, our children, our parents, ourselves." LEAP, which is made up of thousands of current and former members of the law enforcement and criminal justice communities, has been advocating for the de-criminalization of drugs and replacing it with regulation and control since 2002. Arrests and jail sentences continue even though public opinion has moved against it. National polling by the Pew Research Center show a majority of people support legalizing the use of marijuana. Even in Louisiana, a recent poll by Public Policy Polling found more than half support legalization and regulation of marijuana. Karen O'Keefe, who lived in New Orleans for years and now works as Director of State Policies at the Marijuana Policy Project, said "A sentence of 20 years in prison for possessing a substance that is safer that alcohol is out of step with Louisiana voters, national trends, and basic fairness and justice. Limited prison space and prosecutors' time should be spent on violent and serious crime, not on prosecuting and incarcerating people who use a substance that nearly half of all adults have used." Defense lawyers are appealing the twenty year sentence for Mr. Ladd, but the hundreds of thousands of marijuana arrests continue each year. This insanity must be stopped. http://www.truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/item/18214-half-ounce-of-pot-gets-louisiana-man-twenty-years-in-prison
Rather than risk conviction as a repeat offender (marijuana) I am moving to a pot friendly state. I have lived in Arkansas for 25 yrs, bought a nice home, contributed to this state in a positive manner for all of these 25 years. I was busted for growing Pot in 2010... a Felony here. I got probation (4years), served over 2 yrs, petitioned the court for termination of probation, and expungment of the record. I was granted this petition and am now free to leave this oppressive state. IF I was ever to get busted again, even for a small posession charge, the old Felony comes back and is used against me, the fact the judge gave me a break comes back and will be used against me... The sad part is IMO it is the state who is losing by me moving...not me. Yes, it will be costly, but in the end I will be free to work hard, resume my career, and relax with a nice bowl after my working day is over with no fear of imprisionment. Adios Arkansas....You Lose!!!!
Don't come to california it is 1300$ for a small apartment which is insane, I recommend moving to washington where it costed me 600 compared to cali, which is more then half of what I paid. Good luck
I'm in college, living off student loans... here in California my 400 sq. ft. studio apartment costs $1142 a month. Yeah, you gotta shop around, it's expensive here. But hey, it's not a bad state at all compared to some of the others, haha. Just expensive, very high taxes, and not the best public education record.
I live in a fairly good area too, that was pretty important to me. Close to public transportation, right next to a major street (not tucked away in a neighborhood, feels a bit safer to be more out-in-the-open to me). Also within walking distance of a major mall and about 3 miles from my school. The apartments are alright, but the area is nice. Anyway, yeah, apartment shopping can be hell. In general living in California is more expensive, but it's nice here.
Well my city only has a population of 9,000 which is incredibly small and isn't really listed anywhere except if you map it.
This just shows how bad our system as a whole is failing when a man loses 20 years of his life for possessing a flower. But people who kill and rape almost always get less time than this man.Also a quote from kanye west "Face it Jerome gets more time than Brandon"Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Grasscity Forum mobile app
Cali is where I am moving. Because I am a bit older, and have saved wisely I have enough money to buy a nice piece of property. It is a shame I have to go to such an extreme to avoid the persecution the dude the OP wrote about, but I am looking forward to moving, new scenery, new cool people, and the end of having to watch over my shoulder just because I want to smoke a little pot.
No surprise about Louisiana....the original whites there were so deeply ingrained with being superior, but eventually all that inbreeding is going to affect their mental abilities to understand the real world. I'm sure their grand plan has been to rid themselves of any non whites, so how about we make it as hard on them as possible. It still amazes me that we are citizens of the same country, pay the same taxes(more or less), but laws are so convoluted from state to state. It's insane. Sorry for your troubles, but I always believe that everything happens for a reason, and in your case if you wouldn't have gotten caught you probably wouldn't go through all the hassle of moving, but you sound like you are going to love Cali
Thanks wild, yes I agree. Things tend to happen for a reason. Cause and effect. I feel strongly for whatever the reason I am going to love my new life in Cali. I have lived in a self righteous state run by rich white men for too long. It is sickening how these self righteous people justify their self serving cause of tough love punishment. I have had enough, I wont play that game with my life just to be lazy and not have to go thru the hassle of relocation. My house is on the market, I am interviewing for a job Tuesday! Adios Arkansas!!!
And meanwhile, this sick fuck serves no time and gets probation http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/09/13/1238684/--Rape-The-Gay-Away-Pastor-Won-t-Serve-Time
Yup, welcome to America. 20 years for smoking a plant, probation for raping underage boys and ruining thier minds forever. My guess is the judge in the rape case went to the same church as the pastor who raped the boys.
Shit and I thought aus was bad lol, 20 years for a half lmao imagine if it was a half pound they'd probably give ya the death sentence Sent from my GT-I9100T using Tapatalk 4
I live in Cali. The apts I'm moving into are $825 for a 4 bedroom 2 bath. N I'm getting room mates so that brings my rent down to 206. Ur prolly talking about super nice apts in a big city. Op u can find some great, cheap, places in Cali and the weed is bomb and dude the girls.... Damn. Haha Good luck on ur journey bro! Sent from my Hydro using Grasscity Forum mobile app