Missoula jury convicts man for sharing 3 grams of medical marijuana

[stevedeshazer]

http://missoulian.com/news/local/article_89711090-5b4f-11e0-9e31-001cc4c002e0.html

As Montana lawmakers debated the fallout of Montana's medical marijuana law Wednesday, some of the same points were playing out in a Missoula County courtroom.

There, an eight-woman, four-man jury found Matthew Otto, 27, guilty of a single charge of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs - in this case, 3 grams (well under an ounce) of marijuana. Otto faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $50,000 fine.

Otto stood accused of sharing a bowl of his medical marijuana with two friends in a car traveling down Reserve Street, where the trio passed a Missoula County Sheriff's detective on his way home from work last November.

<snip>

"Keep in mind that this is not benign smoke," Deputy Missoula County Attorney Andrew Paul said in response. "It's marijuana smoke."...

More reefer madness at link.

Note to self: Don't toke up openly when in Montana. It's a 'dangerous drug'. Or at least don't blaze near a cop.

on edit: The whole story is worth reading, much more so than can be encapsulated in the requisite four paragraphs. I urge DUers to read the link.

[NYC Liberal]

1. "marijuana smoke"...as opposed to tobacco smoke, which is more dangerous

and yet perfectly legal.

[louslobbs]

11. Gotta fill those corporate prisons somehow,imagine all of the empty prison cells without all of the

arrests and convictions for marijuana violations. It would just kill off the money supply for some Republicon owned prison conglomerate.
Lou

[meow mix]

2. theres a medical MJ witchhunt going on here

with everything going on, people are obsessed over some pot. lol

[stevedeshazer]

3. That's amazing.

I'm not from Montana but have traveled there many times. It seems, well, un-Montana-like.

For lack of a better term.

[Webster Green]

4. Obama's DEA is busy raiding medical marijuana clubs in LA.

Some of these providers could wind up facing draconian federal sentencing that would be similar to states that are less civilized than California, such as Montana.

Obama's "drug" policies are no better than any of his predecessors. He knows damn well that people benefit from medical cannabis, yet he is too cowardly to do the right thing.

Obama disgusts me. He's just another right winger.

[Here4DaLinks]

6. To me, Obama's policies ARE better then his predecessors.....but not by much.

I have't seen what the LA medical mj clinics were arrested for. There are still laws and if you grow too much or don't fill out this or that form, whatever trifling excuse, they WILL come in and arrest you. But not for just being in business and doing what the state of CA has said you can legally do.

I may be mistaken and the DEA may be arresting them for nothing. I haven't seen those links or articles.



Not trying to argue with you, but to say Obama is the same as Bush,
or even 'didn't inhale' Clinton seems like a gross misrepresentation to me.
:shrug:



Peace.

[Webster Green]

7. You are mistaken.

The feds come in and take everything. They take all the medicine, the cash, the computers, the patient records. Everything! They do not recognize the state laws and they continue to insist that cannabis has no medicinal value. They are sadistic, corrupt thugs.

It is not better under Obama. Holder is a fascist asshole. Obama is fucking clueless, or scared shitless. Either way, he is a useless regressive.

[Here4DaLinks]

8. I'd believe you more if you posted some links and stats...

...I'm knackered and about to crash. If you find anything let me know.
This is all I got so far...

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June 29, 2010 05:22 PM
Bush Crony Working for Obama Seeks to Undermine Medical Marijuana Industry
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mason-tvert/bush-crony-working-for-ob_b_629890.html

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"Insane news, which isn't getting much coverage yet: The Feds have just raided medical marijuana dispensaries across Montana. Armed agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, and ATF swept through at least 10 stores and greenhouses on Monday, detaining the workers there and seizing computers, plants, and other items.

According to one worker, “They came in, guns drawn, got us down on the ground and in cuffs as fast as they could.”

The raids represent a swift change in law enforcement policy: When Obama took office, Attorney General Eric Holder promised to end the Bush-era attacks on sellers of medicinal marijuana and medical marijuana patients. Obama made the same promise on the campaign trail — repeatedly:

“I would not have the Justice Department prosecuting and raiding medical marijuana users. It’s not a good use of our resources.” (August 21, 2007, event in Nashua, New Hampshire)
And:

“I don’t think that should be a top priority of us, raiding people who are using … medical marijuana. With all the things we’ve got to worry about, and our Justice Department should be doing, that probably shouldn’t be a high priority.” (June 2, 2007, town hall meeting in Laconia, New Hampshire)
Now the Feds are even refusing to say why they conducted yesterday’s raids, and if and when they’ll be pressing any charges. This shift in policy puts medical marijuana sellers and patients across America in jeopardy.

Will you click here to tell Obama and Holder to keep their promises and end the raids?"
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/03/15/956716/-Feds-Raid-10-Medical-Marijuana-Dispensaries-Across-Montana

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Post more later if I find out anything.

[Webster Green]

9. Yeah, these were within the last couple of days.

I'll see if I can find the link to the story I read earlier today.

[stevedeshazer]

5. I'd like to add my apology to all the good citizens of the great state of Montana.

But I must confess that I have passed the non-benign smoke as described by Deputy Missoula County Attorney Andrew Paul. Not just in Missoula County, but a good number of Montana's other 55 or so counties.

I am truly sorry.

In fact, I promise to make this right just as soon as the green toxic lakepit in downtown Butte and the pile of radioactive tailings in Anaconda are made right.

[Electric Monk]

10. First things first. It's all a matter of priorities, y'know? Those will still be there tomorrow...

Oh right, that's the problem, they'll still be there tomorrow. Anyone else got any bright ideas? Go bust more pot smokers? They are a renewable resource? Ok, got it.

(do I need a smiley :smoke:)