New House Bill, Passed Yesterday, Criminalizes Free Speech and Association in Regard to the CSA

[RainDog]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/06/us-drug-policy-war-congress_n_998993.html?1318006907&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009

The House Judiciary Committee passed a bill yesterday that would make it a federal crime for U.S. residents to discuss or plan activities on foreign soil that, if carried out in the U.S., would violate the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) -- even if the planned activities are legal in the countries where they're carried out. The new law, sponsored by Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) allows prosecutors to bring conspiracy charges against anyone who discusses, plans or advises someone else to engage in any activity that violates the CSA, the massive federal law that prohibits drugs like marijuana and strictly regulates prescription medication.

Smith is also the ASSHOLE who stated he would not allow the bipartisan cannabis decriminalization bill to ever get out of committee. Austin - please get rid of this mother fucking creep.

"Under this bill, if a young couple plans a wedding in Amsterdam, and as part of the wedding, they plan to buy the bridal party some marijuana, they would be subject to prosecution," said Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance, which advocates for reforming the country's drug laws. "The strange thing is that the purchase of and smoking the marijuana while you're there wouldn't be illegal. But this law would make planning the wedding from the U.S. a federal crime."

The law could also potentially affect academics and medical professionals. For example, a U.S. doctor who works with overseas doctors or government officials on needle exchange programs could be subject to criminal prosecution. A U.S. resident who advises someone in another country on how to grow marijuana or how to run a medical marijuana dispensary would also be in violation of the new law, even if medical marijuana is legal in the country where the recipient of the advice resides. If interpreted broadly enough, a prosecutor could possibly even charge doctors, academics and policymakers from contributing their expertise to additional experiments like the drug decriminalization project Portugal, which has successfully reduced drug crime, addiction and overdose deaths.

...Civil libertarian attorney and author Harvey Silverglate says the bill raises several concerns. "Just when you think you can't get any more cynical, a bill like this comes along. I mean, it just sounds like an abomination. First, there's no intuitive reason for an American to think that planning an activity that's perfectly legal in another country would have any effect on America," Silverglate says. "So we're getting further away from the common law tradition that laws should be intuitive, and should include a mens rea component. Second, this is just an act of shameless cultural and legal imperialism. It's just outrageous."

This is the War on Drugs in action. It's bipartisan. It's a violation of EVERY IDEA that was the basis for this govt. It's illegitimate and it is the response of a police state, not a democracy. Thought crimes. Speech crimes. Total disregard for the 4th amendment of the Constitution is the legacy of the war on drugs - now they're upping the ante so that the War on Drugs can make you a criminal for engaging in non-criminal activities. If you're not outraged - you're complicit.

[RainDog]

1. kicking this. both Republicans and Democrats need to see the War on Drugs in action

aren't you proud?

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Is an indictment constitutional if the act is committed in a foreign land where it is legal?

[Qutzupalotl]

3. This would criminalize the planning (speech).

[RainDog]

4. if someone talks about it in the U.S. that's illegal. no matter what they actually do.

this is outrageous.

I don't have a govt that represents me in any shape, form or fashion.

as far as I'm concerned, the U.S. govt is illegitimate b/c it is passing bills that violate the very basis of our idea that freedom of speech and association are essential for a population to have a democracy.

[Uncle Joe]

5. I second your request of the good people of Austin.

Smith would be much more at home representing North Korea or Saudi Arabia.

Thanks for the thread, Raindog.

[RainDog]

6. thank you. yeah, that guy needs to go.

Austin has enough progressive voting-age people to get rid of him and they would be doing the rest of the nation a big favor if they would.

[WinkyDink]

7. Some DEMENTED people have TOO MUCH TIME ON THEIR HANDS.

[Kaleko]

8. So you want to bring conspiracy charges in a country

where conspiracies aren't even acknowledged to exist and are generally poo-pooed as tinfoil hat.

Way to go, USA!!!

The contradictions are finally tearing this rotten system apart.

[RainDog]

9. yes. this is ugly imperialism

if this doesn't make people WAKE UP and see that the War on Drugs is simply a war on Americans - well, go back to sleep and please sleep through the election too. you're a waste of oxygen.

[desertrat777]

10. How many fingers am I holding up?

The answer to the interrogator's question isn't a specific number. The "correct" answer is "Whatever you say."

Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the book that came from. Perhaps 1984.

These events affecting the MMJ industry in particular and our rights as citizens in general connect with the intentions of the Occupy Wall Street movement. We no longer have a functional democracy in this country. Instead we are moving toward corporate fascism. Many would say that we are already there.

We the People of the United States of America, the lower 99%, need to stand in solidarity for our rights, especially the proper function of government, which is to serve the people. Not just the upper 1%.

Nothing less will do. The time to start is now.

[bemildred]

11. It was 1984. nt

[ooglymoogly]

12. The ugly American has never been uglier. kr nt

[Initech]

13. Watch when all the rich kids start getting arrested in Europe for this.

[RainDog]

14. they wouldn't be arrested in Europe - it's a crime in the U.S.

- the crime is NOT using a substance in another country.

the crime is TALKING ABOUT IT in the U.S. before the fact.

[Initech]

15. Then wouldn't this bill get challenged as a free speech violation?

[RainDog]

18. I would hope so

as I noted on another thread - if you are a writer who is doing research for a project and you talk to people in other countries about what they do in regard to cannabis - that would make you a criminal.

it's yet another police state tactic that is the legacy to America from the War on Drugs.

the only success the War on Drugs has had is removing rights from American citizens.

[Lucian]

16. I'm going to Europe next year and I'm going to smoke all the goddamn pot I want.

[RainDog]

19. Thought criminal!

thinking or talking about something like that will make you grow hair on the palms of your backpack, btw.

[Lucian]

20. Am I in "1984?"

[Better Believe It]

17. The Obama administration is opening the door to right-wing crapola with its attack on medical pot

[Tsiyu]

21. so smaller government

and jobs are out of the picture?


Unless this is an attempt to fill prisons with cheaper-than-dirt labor; of course then I apologize for disparaging our most helpful Congress.

[2banon]

22. I really wish I could Recommend this page..

Thanks for posting.. :thumbsup: