Jimmy Carter: Marijuana Legalization Is Smart, Imprisonment For Possession Is Out Of Control

[kpete]

Source: Huffington Post

Jimmy Carter: Marijuana Legalization Is Smart, Imprisonment For Possession Is Out Of Control

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Carter, who as president supported an era of marijuana decriminalization in the mid-1970s, told CNN's Suzanne Malveaux that he was "in favor" of states that were taking steps to legalize the drug.

"I think it’s OK,” Carter said. “I don’t think it’s going to happen in Georgia yet, but I think we can watch and see what happens in the state of Washington for instance, around Seattle, and let the American government and let the American people see does it cause a serious problem or not.”

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Speaking about the issues of an anti-drug system focused on enforcement, Carter suggested that large incarceration rates, especially among minorities, were being perpetuated by harsh punishments for marijuana possession.

"It's a major step backward, and it ought to be reversed, not only in America, but around the world," Carter argued, later going on to say that nations such as Portugal, which decriminalized all drugs in 2000, could be a model for the United States to look toward in the future.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/12/jimmy-carter-marijuana_n_2283989.html

[frazzled]

1. Decriminalization and legalization are two separate issues

I think Carter is talking about a Portugal-style decriminalization. Drugs are still illegal in Portugal, and growers and pushers are still prosecuted and subject to imprisonment. Small-amount users are "prosecuted" but given drug rehab, classes, or fines instead.

In my city, marijuana in amounts under an ounce (?) is now decriminalized (as in some other cities), but it's still illegal.

[joshcryer]

14. Thank you. That is exactly what he is saying.

He is not yet advocating for pure legalization. Why, I don't know.

[John2]

2. President Carter

does seem to be evolving over the years. I think he has gotten wiser.

[maddiemom]

10. He was always wiser than his time.

[think]

3. And the question is:

"What do Jimmy Carter, Pat Robertson, Barney Frank, Tom Tancredo, and Ron Paul have in common?"

[ricardA]

4. legalization will work for good if all countries do that

I read somewhere that that was tried before (a city in a nordic country?) and the results were not good, because people took it as a party city, trashed it together with the local population, then went back to their homes with a 'clean conscious'.


So, make sure whatever is legalized is all over, so every one carries part of the responsability, and whaterever reinforcement/punishing is applied is more general. If the use is like somekind of experiment, then that will yield a more reliable result, because of sample size and diversity. Otherwise you just punish innocent people you don even know, just because they are from that country or leave there. sometimes 'oportunities' are given to people from this 'doomed' countries with good productivity, and then that issue, or card, is pulled out of the sleve to wipe out clean the one given the opportunity. That is something to change.

[randome]

5. I think decriminalization would eventually lead to legalization.

After a while, possession would come to mean something on the order of jaywalking. But the proponents who push for the all-or-nothing approach don't do themselves any favors. I think having it legal in only two states will cause problems similar to the 'party city' attitude you mentioned, and might even eventually lead to rejection of legalization.

[Comrade Grumpy]

7. Well, there is one way to avoid the problem of having it legal in only two states.

Legalize it in more.

And what's with this "all or nothing approach" stuff? I get the sense that if you had your druthers, change would be so incremental we'd still be talking about not imprisoning pot smokers 20 years from now.

[randome]

8. Too many politicians -and voters- are against legalization.

I think we could have decriminalization nation wide if the focus was on that. If stopping the incarceration of people for possession is the goal, that's something a vast majority believes in and could get accomplished much sooner than legalization.

[joshcryer]

15. I suspect that once Colorado and Washington's MJ businesses start bringing in bucks...

...with no real negative impact more states will adopt it (sure, there will be cases of the stray brownie messing someone up, but they'd probably be less common than, yaknow, idiots spiking drinks at parties and really causing harm to people).

If there's one thing that capitalism really loves it is debauchery or raw enjoyment. Marijuana is just another drug that people would enjoy and pay good money for.

[Comrade Grumpy]

6. Are you thinking of Zurich? Amsterdam?

The Scandinavian countries have pretty harsh drug laws.

Zurich had "Needle Park" for awhile in the 1990s, but they shut that down and instead moved to a system of safe injection sites and heroin maintenance. Seems to be working.

Amsterdam has the cannabis cafes and the drug tourism. The mayor of Amsterdam is just fine with it.

[ricardA]

9. last comment

It may be in Amsterdam, like I said a read it in forum a wile ago, but the point mentioned is the actual social consequences to the locals. And how angry they were about loosing their 'way of life'. So my point is people should be serious about, rather than going blindly into that situation pool the available data, evaluate it, and proceed based on that.

I'm guessing that a general scenarion will be fairer. But other issues must come into play, like the true ability and right to NOT use them, if that is your case, or mine, or anyone.

Bottom line: healthy economy, healthy mind and body, freedom with responsability, a society that is progressin because of good human values. Technologies are tool that help a great deal, but the core essential values are a must that are apolitical.

Thanks for the replies.

[Uncle Joe]

11. Kicked and recommended for logic, reason, compassion, justice and wisdom in regards to

cannabis legalization over decades of corrupt, dysfunctional, counterproductive, draconian, freedom eroding, dog shit criminalization policies of one of, if not the most beneficial plants on the planet.

Kudos to the great Statesman; Jimmy Carter.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.

[rachel1]

12. But how else will the prison-industrial complex thrive without more non-violent criminals?

[Blue Owl]

13. Sanity is in the house, y'all

[GReedDiamond]

16. That's great!

That's a way better position to take than when the Carter Administration authorized the use of Paraquat on Cannabis crops in Columbia and Mexico.

When that was happening, it did a lot to sour me on his Administration - although, do not get me wrong - I'm not trying to slam President Carter, I have come to respect him as a decent, honest man, and, in retrospect, a competent and highly-underrated President.

Beyond that, I also believe President Carter has conducted himself, after his term as President, as a true Statesman and Patriot.

I also believe that had he not been defeated by Reagan, we would likely not be where we are now, as a Nation, especially regarding energy policy.

[Warren Religion]

17. hear hear!

I love this guy!