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August 21, 2008
Lack of regulation leads to alleged cannabis dispute in Fox Valley
Posted by Gary Storck
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Over 35 years ago, the "Shafer Commission" -- the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse -- appointed by then-President Nixon, issued a report urging that Congress enact a national policy of marijuana ‘decriminalization,’ whereby the possession of cannabis for personal use as well as the casual distribution of small amounts of marihuana for little-or-no remuneration would no longer be a criminal offense. Unfortunately, Nixon rejected the findings and Congress abandoned attempts at decriminalization in the late 1970's, only to finally revisit the issue again this year with the introduction of H.R. 5843, an "Act to Remove Federal Penalties for Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults," by Rep. Barney Frank.
With cannabis only available on the black market, otherwise law-abiding cannabis consumers are forced to seek out their stash on the streets, leaving consumers open to obtaining cannabis that may be fake, adulterated, moldy and/or of low potency. Consumers may not receive the full claimed weight. Disputes happen, and there is no consumer protection in place to mediate. Had Congress acted in 1972 or in the interim, cannabis prohibition, which ravenously consumes scarce and expensive criminal justice system resources and wrongly criminalizes otherwise ordinary law-abiding citizens, might be gone and in its place, an entire new industry with thousands of new "green" jobs. Instead, we have a situation where the lack of regulation rips off cannabis consumers and threatens their health, while enforcement strains budgets and leaves communities unprotected. A system of taxation and regulation would end prohibition related expenditures and create a new revenue stream that would more than offset any negative effects while funding projects that make our communities better places to live.
August 21, 20082 Green Bay men held after drug deal goes sour
By John Lee and Mike Hoeft
Gannett Wisconsin Media click hereAPPLETON – Brown County deputies assisted Appleton police in finding two Green Bay area men suspected in a possible shooting incident on Wednesday.
Police said a gun was shown during a disturbance that started inside an apartment building at 304 Schindler Place about 12:30 p.m., but it’s unclear whether it was fired.
A 22-year-old Green Bay man was arrested for reckless endangerment. A 21-year-old Green Bay man was arrested for disorderly conduct, while a 19-year-old Appleton man was arrested for disorderly conduct, marijuana possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. All three are being held in the Outagamie County Jail.
“It turned out that a dispute arose over a drug transaction,” Appleton Police Sgt. Pat DeWall said today.
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Complete Article: click here.
Posted by Gary at August 21, 2008 04:20 PM
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