New marijuana law side effect: Youth possession now a felony
Source: Associated Press
The Lewiston Tribune in Idaho reports the teens ages 14, 15 and 17 have been charged in nearby Asotin County with felonies that could net them up to five years in prison. The offense was previously a misdemeanor with a maximum 90-day jail sentence.
Read more: http://www.katu.com/news/local/New-marijuana-law-side-effect-Youth-possession-now-a-felony-328374581.html
Oh many young people's lives do these control freak politicians want to ruin?
Comrade Grumpy
(13,184 posts)They need to act in Olympia to fix this.
Gore1FL
(21,031 posts)That makes no sense.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)Igel
(35,197 posts)And the answer is, apparently, "No, they're not."
It's a felony for all minors to possess according to the law. If they're being tried as adults, then it's like being tried as an adult for underage alcohol possess. The charge itself would be incoherent: "You can't legally do this as a minor, but you can do it legally as an adult; so we'll try you as an adult."
Gore1FL
(21,031 posts)and expect them to still be a juvenile at the end of those 5 years. Therein lies the issue.
jtuck004
(15,882 posts)potency.
The special taxes are over 35%, to pay those who profit in private industry and government from the prisons so we can keep the 14, 15, and 17 year olds locked up for years.
Because it is so dangerous.
passiveporcupine
(8,175 posts)I sure hope they fix this quickly.
nilesobek
(1,423 posts)Lewiston, Idaho is my hometown and the Lewiston Morning Tribune has been the monopoly newspaper since long before I was born. This location, at the nexus of SE Washington and North Central Idaho is the last holdout of the reactionary religious right rednecks.
For 2 years the City of Clarkston has fought against allowing a dispensary in Clarkston. The Clarkston, Wa city council believes they are above the laws of the land and the will of the people. Because, you see, a fellow named Jesus told them so.
Tragically, when the new WA law was written, these parts of the law were given up by activists because they just wanted the bill to pass.
There are real crazies up there in Lewiston. I've lived all over the US in various homeless camps and big cities and can tell you from experience: There isn't a more dangerous place to reside. The whole town is hooked on meth and pills. There are tweakers roaming the streets looking to assault or burglarize at any moment.
BlueJazz
(25,348 posts)SmittynMo
(3,544 posts)Bernie will fix that when he gets in. Like we need more kids in jail for smoking a joint?
valerief
(53,235 posts)padfun
(1,780 posts)Granted that the cops usually just had you dump it or they would just take it (to sell later?) but occasionally they would charge someone for the felony. But having said that, I don't think young ones were tried as adults back then.
BeanMusical
(4,389 posts)This is totally insane.
Midnight Writer
(21,547 posts)woofless
(2,670 posts)He didn't and sold all us medical cannabis patients down the river. Extremely disappointing to be going backwards in this era of cannabis laws being liberalized. Hoping our activism will get some positive results this legislative session. The only people being harmed here are those who are prosecuted.
Igel
(35,197 posts)The legislators who are now saying they don't know how the language got into the bill that they personally said they wanted to become law could have read the bill.
They didn't read the bill.
They passed and he signed a law when they didn't know what it said. As a shortcut, they could have just watched its legislative history.
Group think running after a fad = bad decisions that they fully expect not to be held responsible for, much less accountable.
Matariki
(18,775 posts)Major Nikon
(36,814 posts)So to prove it we will put you in jail and ruin your life.
passiveporcupine
(8,175 posts)I talked to the senator who sponsored the bill, discussed it in another thread, and believe I have figured out what happened.
First off...
"We have to send a message to our kids: This will hurt you in more ways than one if you decide to participate," Rivers said
That was out of context. That refers to the intent of the bill, which was to make it so that youths can never legally use the drug. At current, adults with under a certain very small amount don't face the misdemeanor, but instead a civil citation if the use is public and no penalty if it's private.
What she was saying was that it should never be legal for kids to get high, not that the felony for everything was correct. Was not said in relation to this case at all.
Second, the prosecutor is flat out wrong. It's a misdemeanor for under 40 ounces. Period. It's a felony for over 40 ounces. For everyone. Being under 21 is irrelevant.
The bill says that possession is a felony, excepting possession of less than 40 grams with is a misdemeanor, excepting possession of less than (what is it, a gram?) which is not a crime. However, it also says that under no circumstances shall someone under 21 legally possess or distribute marijuana, regardless of amount.
What the prosecutor read that last sentence to mean is that, therefore, it's always a felony. Because the amount does not matter.
What the bill actually says, as I discussed, is that it's never legal for kids. Not that it's always the felony.
At least, that's the interpretation that everyone who wrote, sponsored, and signed the bill believes is true. It's only Mr. Nicolas, prosecutor extraordinaire, who believes otherwise.
TL;DR, the prosecutor is being an idiot, the law simply does not say that.
https://www.reddit.com/r/news/comments/3ltjx8/marijuana_is_legal_in_washington_but_3_teens_are/
So, basically it's a prosecutor's misinterpretation that is causing this problem. The bill was never written to make it a felony for youth to be caught with a little pot. Only people with a lot, no matter what age.