Alaskans weigh privacy and drug dangers in marijuana debate

[struggle4progress]

Alaska's governor is pushing a bill to recriminalize marijuana in the state - and trigger a constitutional challenge that he hopes to win this time.

Alaska laws regarding the possession of the drug are the most liberal in the country. Residents may possess up to a quarter-pound of marijuana for use in the home.

But Frank Murkowski's bill would make possession of less than four ounces a misdemeanor and possession of four ounces and more a felony.

Past attempts to recriminalize the drug have failed based on a 1975, Supreme Court precedent. In what is commonly known as the Ravin decision, the state high court found that Alaskans' constitutional right to privacy outweighed the drug's potential danger. <snip>

http://www.ktva.com/topstory/ci_3637375

[Viva_La_Revolution]

1. I'm a little drunk right now, but I'd rather be stoned

I'd be less of a "danger to society"

Morans

[killbotfactory]

19. Yep

It would be cheaper and less harmful, too.

[K-W]

2. dangers? EOM

[northofdenali]

4. Yeah, K-W, old Murky sez

pot today is stronger than it was when the state Supremes ruled. So what? You rarely see someone stoned in a knife fight with their wife. We have the highest domestic violence rate in the US - because of alcohol.

Murky even tried to equate pot with meth, and tried to get state congress to bundle both of them into the same law!

The state Supremes have kicked out every re-criminalization since 1975. Every single one. Cops basically don't bother. However, if you get pulled over driving and are even sitting on a seed, your ass is nailed.

[ixion]

9. Pot is: non-toxic, non-lethal, and non-addictive

as compared to alcohol, nicotine and caffeine, all lethal and all addictive.

Dangers? Please. :eyes:

[sweetheart]

10. really dangers?

Maybe i should quit getting stoned,
and go out and buy a suicide bombers vest,
Then when they violate my private alone,
my freedom of religion, I'll be prepared for the test.
The drugs war has already stolen my country,
Stolen friends uglified in prison so stressed,
police thugs search and sieze with impunity,
whatever constitution of slavers, underclass repressed.

Its not about the drugs anymore,
its about the freedom to make a choice,
slaves have no choice over the food they abhor,
racist laws program truth, supressing popular voice.
As a pot-smoker enemy, opposite in war,
they have no coherency, ugliness in store.

[John Q. Citizen]

3. How many Alaskans have died or been injured by maraijuana since

'75?

None?

[Chulanowa]

7. Well, my sister

burned her thumb a little when she let her lighter get too hot. Does that count?

Marijuana laws are the stupidest laws in existance. I hope the First Reptile gets his ass handed to hium on a platter with this. Sadly, I don't think it will happen.

[WhiteTara]

12. I singed my hair a couple of times

Welcome to DU Chulanowa :hi:

[northofdenali]

14. Missed your post earlier -

Welcome to DU :hi:


The "First Reptile"? PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!! Let's keep that as part of our Far North Lexicon!!

[rodeodance]

5. drats.

[ConcernedCanuk]

6. The "dangers" of marijuana in the US include making its society mellow

.
.
.

Can't have that when y'all got a WAR president at the helm,

Now can ya?????

How could ya get all these "roh roh roh" guys itching to kill something?

The LAST thing regular "smokers" want to do is to FIGHT

Therein lies the "danger" to the PNACers IMO

[Kailassa]

8. Marijuana is dangerous ...

to the profits of the drug companies who know the whole plant works better as a treatment for many ailments than the drugs derived from it that they are patenting.

And any (corrupt) government must protect the profits of its campaign donors.

[symbolman]

11. Murkowski is a PIG and a CROOK

I lived there 10 years, back in the day when people were smoking joints in the bars whenever they felt like it..

This clown needs to be coated in bacon grease and chained to a big spike, naked in the middle of the tundra, preferably on the other side of the Brooks Range.. plenty of BEARS there that will literally KNOCK your head OFF your body.. now THAT is Pay Per View that *I* would love to see..

goddam crook, he's in the pocket of anyone with money up there... plus he gets his face plastered all over the place, anytime he can get a business to add a piece of art or window, he wants his fat face burned into it.. check out The Pumphouse outside of Fairbanks, his face etched into the window of a door is enough to make you throw up on the way out of the bar..

[Joey Liberal]

13. Prozac is okay but Marijuana is bad?

The republicans, of all people, should be toking up. They need to mellow out. The only reason the republicans are so anti-Marijuana is that the Pharmaceutical companies that support them would rather have you purchase their Prozac rather than some primo columbian gold.

[wordpix2]

16. how about narcotics are legal for medical use but pot isn't?

[catmandu57]

18. They are toking up

They just don't have to worry about the consequences of officer friendly catching them. it's always been this way the law is for everyone else, how can you explain the chimp's* behavior otherwise?

[wordpix2]

15. I love how these repukes want "smaller government" but they're always

sticking their gov. noses into places like private homes where people might want a toke now and then.

(They also love to stick their noses in women's private parts and lives to prevent abortion).

[Jack_DeLeon]

17. The war on drugs and errosions of our liberty is more of a danger...

than drugs can ever be.

How many people have lost either thier lives, thier livelyhood, or thier property because of the governments war on its own citizens.

Far more people have likely been hurt by the government than by drugs or drug users.