Slog - Comments on Democrats Call Lies “Lies” and Republicans Call the Truth “Lies” http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi Just when you thought you’d heard the biggest whopper from a Republican official—e.g., John McCain, Thomas Edison of the BlackBerry—the White House’s Drug Czar shoves his hoof in his mouth and spits out a unicorn. At a press conference last week, an activist pressed the Bush appointee to explain why Holland, which allows pot smoking, has lower use rates than the U.S., which arrests over a quarter-million pot smokers a year. And this is what happened: “We didn’t arrest 800,000 marijuana users,” Walters says about 1:35 minutes into the video. That’s a “lie.” But not only did law-enforcement agencies report... Copyright 2008 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:36:32 -0800 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:36:22 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Procrastinator This BLOWS ME AWAY. Also? He has girly hands.

]]> Procrastinator http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144503 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144503 Drugs Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:41:09 -0800 Comment by Timothy Oh...to live in a World that actually cared about the truth.

]]> Timothy http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144506 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144506 Drugs Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:43:42 -0800 Comment by Timothy I'd contend that the very worst laws on the books are those laws that are entirely subjective in their application. In other words, when a Prosecutor or a Cop can either charge or not charge, and nobody cares either way, then the decision as to whether or not to charge becomes open to influence of things entirely unrelated to the offense itself. For example, race. Or class. Or attitude. Or meeting quotas. Or boredom.

If as cops and others frequently contend, we aren't arresting people for possession, then why keep those laws on the books?

]]> Timothy http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144516 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144516 Drugs Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:48:39 -0800 Comment by Andrew I have an idea how he could be playing with the truth to be factually correct, but entirely misleading. When he says "we didn't arrest 800,000 marijuana users", did he mean that the Federal Government didn't arrest arrest people under federal drug statutes, but meanwhile the arrests by states under state drug laws has gone up? The NORML pages you linked to just say arrests. It doesn't differentiate between state and federal arrests.

]]> Andrew http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144535 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144535 Drugs Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:07:08 -0800 Comment by Mike in MO all this revolves around the bullshit that marijuana is on any level harmful.

All those real bad people that he described that they arrested (i.e. NOT the so called innocent first tim non-violent consumer) wouldn't be doing anything illegal IF WEED WASN'T FUCKING ILLEGAL!!!!!!

Keep it illegal, and criminals will continue to run the market. Making something that millions of people like to do and is 100% harmless, then depending on everyone cooperating is fucking stupid.

]]> Mike in MO http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144592 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144592 Drugs Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:55:33 -0800 Comment by John Bailo Here's a thought...if marijuana laws were enforced, it would probably equalize the jail population between blacks and whites.

]]> John Bailo http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144595 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144595 Drugs Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:57:24 -0800 Comment by You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me @4

I think what he meant was that they were arrested for other crimes (drunk driving, robbery, assault & etc.) and that the marijuana charges were secondary.

Is NORML trying to say that there were 800,000 people arrested solely on marijuana charges, with no other charges pressed?

That would surprise me.

Usually its something like either a hooker busted for prostitution and hey she's carrying, so charge her for the drugs also, or a drunk driver careens through a daycare, and he's gotta a baggy in the glove box so lets hit him with Vehicular Homicide, Drunk Driving, and Possession.

Any one know the actual stats on first time offenders charged with Possession only (no other charges)?

]]> You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144600 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144600 Drugs Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:05:35 -0800 Comment by You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me In other words, even if pot were legal, those 800,000 people would have been busted on other charges...

]]> You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144604 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144604 Drugs Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:06:50 -0800 Comment by bcNsea http://www.november.org/razorwire/rzold/18/18045.html

]]> bcNsea http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144606 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144606 Drugs Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:08:12 -0800 Comment by bcNsea http://www.november.org/razorwire/rzold/18/18045.html

]]> bcNsea http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144607 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144607 Drugs Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:09:05 -0800 Comment by max solomon god what a douche.

]]> max solomon http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144620 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144620 Drugs Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:19:12 -0800 Comment by douglas you gotta be kidding me is right, except that a large number of the periphery criminal offenses stem from the fact that pot is illegal and exists on a black market. the 800,000 figure is more complex than either that reporter or that douche portrayed it.

also the douche didn't answer his question about non pot obsessed countries, which was more the central issue of the question.

]]> douglas http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144633 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144633 Drugs Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:35:34 -0800 Comment by Mac I am an attorney who practices criminal law and I can tell you from first hand experience people are arrested and go to jail all the time on the sole charge of possessing mj. In fact, in Washington, 24 hours of jail is mandatory for a first time conviction for possession of forty grams or less of mj.

]]> Mac http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144709 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144709 Drugs Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:18:58 -0800 Comment by danrand Many of those serving possession crimes are actually serving concurrent sentences for crimes committed while possessing.

example:
A man is arrested for rape and assault, and at the time of his arrest police discover a bag of marijuana in his pocket. After being found guilty at trial of all charges, the man is sentenced to 20 years in
prison for rape and assault, and one year concurrent for marijuana possession.


]]> danrand http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144775 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144775 Drugs Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:05:15 -0800 Comment by herbert browne So, despite appearances, Mr. Walther isn't a lying sack of shit-- but a misunderstood dissembling douchebag? OK... if that's what it takes to run the War on Drugs, well, take it away! ^..^

]]> herbert browne http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144788 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/democrats_call_the_lies_lies_and_republi#c1144788 Drugs Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:36:22 -0800