Obama Favors Changes in Drug Sentencing

[Hollow Shells]

Obama Favors Changes in Drug Sentencing
By NEDRA PICKLER – 14 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrat Barack Obama said Friday that as president he would relax drug sentencing laws and address vast racial inequities in the justice system as part of his crime policy.

The Illinois senator said he would review mandatory minimum drug sentencing and give first-time, nonviolent drug offenders a chance to serve their sentence in drug rehabilitation programs instead of prison.

"If you're convicted of a crime involving drugs, of course you should be punished," Obama said in a speech at Howard University's opening convocation. "But let's not make the punishment for crack cocaine that much more severe than the punishment for powder cocaine when the real difference is where the people are using them or who is using them."


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"If you're convicted of a crime involving drugs, of course you should be punished,"

This makes no sense to me. Why people think that drug users should be punished is beyond me. Seems like thought crime to me.

[Warren DeMontague]

1. Of course, unless you don't get caught, go on to run for (or be) president.

Then, you know, you should be able to chalk it off to youthful indiscretion, and proceed about the business of hypocritically enabling the $40 Billion a year drug war.

Let's try it again.

How about this, Barack:

"If you're convicted of a crime, of course you should be punished, but merely putting something in your body that the state doesn't like should NOT BE A CRIME. If you rob a bank, drive under the influence, neglect your kids, then you're a criminal, and should be treated as such. But why the fuck this country should spend billions of dollars turning the estimated 80 Million Americans who smoke pot recreationally and are otherwise productive, law-abiding citizens into criminals, is beyond me. It's well past time we de-fund the drug war, make addiction to ALL drugs, including alcohol, a public health and not a law enforcement issue, and absolutely legalize, regulate and TAX marijuana for responsible consenting adult use."

[Egnever]

2. WTF?

Who is going to jail for use? Its possession that puts you in jail unless you are on probation.

I agree the drug war is ludicrous but I don't see where the heck you are coming from on this.

[Warren DeMontague]

5. Oh, come on. What is the difference between putting people in jail for having something vs using it?

Simple possession. Not sales. We're filling up prisons with people for these crimes as certainly as our tax dollars are paying to bust down the doors of pot co-ops serving chemo-ridden cancer grannies.

The drug war is a sham, and if ANY of the politicians who have admitted (or, for that matter, certain very prominent ones who danced around the question) to the harder drugs they did in their youth had gotten busted for 'em, you can be sure as shit they wouldn't be in a position to be running for the White House, much less residing in it.

That's hypocrisy, if you ask me.

[zanne]

3. I think this is a good sign.

And it's about time. There's very little rehab available for people sentenced for possesssion.

[TheUniverse]

4. Because politicians think they can control your life.

It is a shame that not one of the major Democrats supports at the very least, unbanning marijuana. Maybe that would hurt their contributions from Pfizer.

[w13rd0]

6. Actually...

...he said "convicted of a crime involving drugs". This likely means prosecuting a charge on drugs (trafficing, distribution or the like) if drugs are found in evidence during commission of a felony. It's an important first step just having a viable candidate say this out loud.