Colo. pot legalization appears to be a good thing
By Art Way, AlterNet
More than three years have passed since Colorado residents voted to legalize marijuana, which immediately allowed adults to possess and cultivate limited amounts of marijuana. This past New Year’s Day marked the two year anniversary of adults being able to legally buy marijuana in Colorado.
The policy is still in its formative stage, but the first year after marijuana sales started in Colorado went very well and we continue to see the good shape of things to come.
The destruction imagined by opponents of legalization in 2012 never came true and is unlikely to materialize. Public safety benchmarks are under scrutiny in a manner never seen under prohibition and there is no real cause for panic in the foreseeable future.
In short, the current state of legalization is more reflective of the world imagined by proponents – legalization works.
NOBODY SHOULD GO TO JAIL FOR A PLANT!
Alcohol Prohibition required a constitutional amendment to start it and to end it. No such amendment was ever passed to create Marijuana Prohibition, which makes all these arrests unconstitutional and illegal. I’ve been arrested several times for weed and each time we have destroyed the prosecution and exposed the cops who lied on the stand. The narcs even joke about lying on the stand, calling it “Testi-lying.” I’ve also filed complaints against judges for gross prejudice. In addition, I have filed civil rights complaints against Placer County. In my trials the cops told us that nobody ever puts them on the stand and they were sorry they ever messed with me. All this unconstitutional activity by cops is intended to discredit medical marijuana by attaching felonies to those of us who wrote and passed Prop. 215. To their utter astonishment I have beaten all legal threats against me and my legal record is squeaky clean.
When you’ve seen as many dishonest cops as I have, it makes you appreciate good cops who do their job and actually protect our community. I am pleased to report that the SLTPD are among the best officers I’ve ever met. Our SLT Police Chief, Brian Uhler, is one of the best chiefs I’ve ever met and is doing a fantastic job of focusing on real crimes with real victims.
I enjoy a little toke now and again. So do many of my friends in this area who happen to be teachers, doctors, nurses, bus drivers, real estate agents, bankers, lawyers, guides, parents and good people.
I never thought I would live to see the day that common sense prevailed on this issue.
I am shocked!