http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/...993.html?1318006907&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009
Things are just getting stupid now!!
-
Happy Birthday ICMag! Been 20 years since Gypsy Nirvana created the forum! We are celebrating with a 4/20 Giveaway and by launching a new Patreon tier called "420club". You can read more here.
-
Important notice: ICMag's T.O.U. has been updated. Please review it here. For your convenience, it is also available in the main forum menu, under 'Quick Links"!
U.S. Drug Policy Would Be Imposed Globally By New House Bill
- Thread starter kmk420kali
- Start date
Things are just getting stupid now!!
If I were a police officer I would be angry at laws politicians pass that allow a citizen to shoot them under the second amendment.
U.S. Drug Policy Would Be Imposed Globally By New House Bill
U.S. Drug Policy Would Be Imposed Globally By New House Bill
The House Judiciary Committee passed a bill yesterday that would make it a federal crime for U.S. residents to discuss or plan activities on foreign soil that, if carried out in the U.S., would violate the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) -- even if the planned activities are legal in the countries where they're carried out. The new law, sponsored by Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) allows prosecutors to bring conspiracy charges against anyone who discusses, plans or advises someone else to engage in any activity that violates the CSA, the massive federal law that prohibits drugs like marijuana and strictly regulates prescription medication.
"Under this bill, if a young couple plans a wedding in Amsterdam, and as part of the wedding, they plan to buy the bridal party some marijuana, they would be subject to prosecution," said Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance, which advocates for reforming the country's drug laws. "The strange thing is that the purchase of and smoking the marijuana while you're there wouldn't be illegal. But this law would make planning the wedding from the U.S. a federal crime."
The law could also potentially affect academics and medical professionals. For example, a U.S. doctor who works with overseas doctors or government officials on needle exchange programs could be subject to criminal prosecution. A U.S. resident who advises someone in another country on how to grow marijuana or how to run a medical marijuana dispensary would also be in violation of the new law, even if medical marijuana is legal in the country where the recipient of the advice resides. If interpreted broadly enough, a prosecutor could possibly even charge doctors, academics and policymakers from contributing their expertise to additional experiments like the drug decriminalization project Portugal, which has successfully reduced drug crime, addiction and overdose deaths.
The Controlled Substances Act also regulates the distribution of prescription drugs, so something as simple as emailing a friend vacationing in Tijuana some suggestions on where to buy prescription medication over the counter could subject a U.S. resident to criminal prosecution. "It could even be something like advising them where to buy cold medicine overseas that they'd have to show I.D. to get here in the U.S.," Piper says.
Civil libertarian attorney and author Harvey Silverglate says the bill raises several concerns. "Just when you think you can't get any more cynical, a bill like this comes along. I mean, it just sounds like an abomination. First, there's no intuitive reason for an American to think that planning an activity that's perfectly legal in another country would have any effect on America," Silverglate says. "So we're getting further away from the common law tradition that laws should be intuitive, and should include a mens rea component. Second, this is just an act of shameless cultural and legal imperialism. It's just outrageous."
Conspiracy laws in general are problematic when applied to the drug war. They give prosecutors extraordinary discretion to charge minor players, such as girlfriends or young siblings, with the crimes committed by major drug distributors. They're also easier convictions to win, and can allow prosecutors to navigate around restrictions like statutes of limitations, so long as the old offense can be loosely linked to a newer one. The Smith bill would expand those powers. Under the Amsterdam wedding scenario, anyone who participated in the planning of the wedding with knowledge of the planned pot purchase would be guilty of conspiracy, even if their particular role was limited to buying flowers or booking the hotel.
The law is a reaction to a 2007 case in which the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals threw out the convictions of two men who planned the transfer of cocaine from a Colombian drug cartel to a Saudi prince for distribution in Europe. Though the men planned the transaction from Miami, the court found that because the cocaine never reached the U.S. and was never intended to reach the U.S., the men hadn't committed any crime against the United States.
But the Smith bill goes farther than necessary to address that outcome in that case. "They could have limited this law to prohibiting the planning of activities that are illegal in the countries where they take place," Piper says. "That would have allowed them to convict the guys in the Miami case. There was an amendment proposed to do that and it was voted down on party lines. They intentionally made sure the bill includes activities that legal in other countries. Which means this is an attempt to apply U.S. law all over the globe."
It wouldn't be the first time. Over the last several years, a number of executives from online gambling companies have been arrested in U.S. airports and charged with felony violations of U.S. gambling, racketeering and money laundering laws, even though the executives were citizens of and the companies were incorporated in countries where online gambling is legal.
Last May, one U.S. citizen saw how the police can apply in reverse. Joe Gordon, a native of Thailand who has lived in America for 30 years, was arrested while visiting his native country for violating Thailand's lèse-majesté law, which bans criticism of the Thai royal family. Gordon had posted a link on his blog to a biography of Thailand's king that has been banned in Thailand.
In recent years, officials have also attempted to impose U.S. white collar crime policies on other countries as well, such as pressuring Switzerland to soften it's privacy laws to help American officials to catch tax cheats and money launderers.
But Silverglate says the Smith bill breaks new ground. "I'm horrified by the pressure on Switzerland, and that's probably the libertarian in me, but at least there you have an argument that there's an American interest at stake. Here, I don't see any interest other than to a desire to impose our moral and cultural preferences on the rest of the world."
U.S. Drug Policy Would Be Imposed Globally By New House Bill
The House Judiciary Committee passed a bill yesterday that would make it a federal crime for U.S. residents to discuss or plan activities on foreign soil that, if carried out in the U.S., would violate the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) -- even if the planned activities are legal in the countries where they're carried out. The new law, sponsored by Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) allows prosecutors to bring conspiracy charges against anyone who discusses, plans or advises someone else to engage in any activity that violates the CSA, the massive federal law that prohibits drugs like marijuana and strictly regulates prescription medication.
"Under this bill, if a young couple plans a wedding in Amsterdam, and as part of the wedding, they plan to buy the bridal party some marijuana, they would be subject to prosecution," said Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance, which advocates for reforming the country's drug laws. "The strange thing is that the purchase of and smoking the marijuana while you're there wouldn't be illegal. But this law would make planning the wedding from the U.S. a federal crime."
The law could also potentially affect academics and medical professionals. For example, a U.S. doctor who works with overseas doctors or government officials on needle exchange programs could be subject to criminal prosecution. A U.S. resident who advises someone in another country on how to grow marijuana or how to run a medical marijuana dispensary would also be in violation of the new law, even if medical marijuana is legal in the country where the recipient of the advice resides. If interpreted broadly enough, a prosecutor could possibly even charge doctors, academics and policymakers from contributing their expertise to additional experiments like the drug decriminalization project Portugal, which has successfully reduced drug crime, addiction and overdose deaths.
The Controlled Substances Act also regulates the distribution of prescription drugs, so something as simple as emailing a friend vacationing in Tijuana some suggestions on where to buy prescription medication over the counter could subject a U.S. resident to criminal prosecution. "It could even be something like advising them where to buy cold medicine overseas that they'd have to show I.D. to get here in the U.S.," Piper says.
Civil libertarian attorney and author Harvey Silverglate says the bill raises several concerns. "Just when you think you can't get any more cynical, a bill like this comes along. I mean, it just sounds like an abomination. First, there's no intuitive reason for an American to think that planning an activity that's perfectly legal in another country would have any effect on America," Silverglate says. "So we're getting further away from the common law tradition that laws should be intuitive, and should include a mens rea component. Second, this is just an act of shameless cultural and legal imperialism. It's just outrageous."
Conspiracy laws in general are problematic when applied to the drug war. They give prosecutors extraordinary discretion to charge minor players, such as girlfriends or young siblings, with the crimes committed by major drug distributors. They're also easier convictions to win, and can allow prosecutors to navigate around restrictions like statutes of limitations, so long as the old offense can be loosely linked to a newer one. The Smith bill would expand those powers. Under the Amsterdam wedding scenario, anyone who participated in the planning of the wedding with knowledge of the planned pot purchase would be guilty of conspiracy, even if their particular role was limited to buying flowers or booking the hotel.
The law is a reaction to a 2007 case in which the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals threw out the convictions of two men who planned the transfer of cocaine from a Colombian drug cartel to a Saudi prince for distribution in Europe. Though the men planned the transaction from Miami, the court found that because the cocaine never reached the U.S. and was never intended to reach the U.S., the men hadn't committed any crime against the United States.
But the Smith bill goes farther than necessary to address that outcome in that case. "They could have limited this law to prohibiting the planning of activities that are illegal in the countries where they take place," Piper says. "That would have allowed them to convict the guys in the Miami case. There was an amendment proposed to do that and it was voted down on party lines. They intentionally made sure the bill includes activities that legal in other countries. Which means this is an attempt to apply U.S. law all over the globe."
It wouldn't be the first time. Over the last several years, a number of executives from online gambling companies have been arrested in U.S. airports and charged with felony violations of U.S. gambling, racketeering and money laundering laws, even though the executives were citizens of and the companies were incorporated in countries where online gambling is legal.
Last May, one U.S. citizen saw how the police can apply in reverse. Joe Gordon, a native of Thailand who has lived in America for 30 years, was arrested while visiting his native country for violating Thailand's lèse-majesté law, which bans criticism of the Thai royal family. Gordon had posted a link on his blog to a biography of Thailand's king that has been banned in Thailand.
In recent years, officials have also attempted to impose U.S. white collar crime policies on other countries as well, such as pressuring Switzerland to soften it's privacy laws to help American officials to catch tax cheats and money launderers.
But Silverglate says the Smith bill breaks new ground. "I'm horrified by the pressure on Switzerland, and that's probably the libertarian in me, but at least there you have an argument that there's an American interest at stake. Here, I don't see any interest other than to a desire to impose our moral and cultural preferences on the rest of the world."
This is crazy. We'll see if the whole hill is crazy as the House Judiciary Committee.
G
greenmatter
i think Rep. Lamar Smith was the photo model they used for Tool's aenima cover.......... should have known the next logical step would be politics
G
greenmatter
i really hope you are right, but then again ..... there is no fucking way a corporation is a person ..... right?
it's illegal to go bang 10 year old thai boys and people still do it. FBI is in Thailand and busts people but it still goes on. DEA is in every major city in Europe and people still smoke weed. just don't get caught. There is no more weed tourism in Amsterdam they shut it down. Smoke some weed in spain and don't tell on yourself. problem solved. If you are a pedophile i hope you get your genitals cut off.
it will pass. it's only symbolic and being used to justify more tax dollars wasted on enforcement. don't rat on yourself and don't get caught. another bullshit law. wake up americans.
#ronpaul2012
#EndtheFed
#ronpaul2012
#EndtheFed
uh, it's another bullshit bill
rootfingers
Active member
Although I understand you only claimed to hate stupidass politicians I feel it is necessary to point out that this is not all politicians fault. The 111 house passed some great legislation. This is the 112 house controlled by the tea party/republicans that is bringing this nonsense up at the same time they can't even pass a funding bill to run the government. Big difference in the last 2 houses and the current one sure knows how to waste time/money.
vinevamp
Member
Hi, I posted a new thread but for some reason it hasn't appeared yet asking for an update on the "weed tourism" in Amsterdam. I hadn't been able to find any official news since July.
Somewhere on this site someone posted a comment saying that it wasn't going to be enforced at the national level but rather at the city level and that the City Council in Amsterdam wasn't going to enforce it.
But you are saying that it is already closed to non Dutch people in Amsterdam?? Please tell me it isn't so!!!
No way. Even if it passes the House - which it won't - it will fail in the Senate. And if does pass the Senate, no way BO will sign that.
rootfingers
Active member
Seems there is an exemption if you are a "regular" but ya that is happening. You can find a good link in the top story under the NEWS tab.
only those who have contributed....so it seems like yes to me.
it is all politicians. there on the same side...they just wear different hats. but it is them against us. i believe that one day, a long time ago, the politicians were sincere and honest, sure there were bad ones then too, but the good far outweighed the bad. Then one day it switched and they're all bad now. don't be fooled. these dirtbags lay such a burden on our backs and then never offer any real solutions to any real problems. look at how they play the media against our fears so that we believe that we need big brother to watch our backs and protect us. all the while they're lavishing with "comped" everything and a fat payday. While most of us toil along and do our thing on the down low....constantly worried that big bro's going to take it all.
I suggest that we enlist as many as we can to overgrow! get busy planning and planting! enjoy bountiful harvests of superb buds! stay hidden (even if you're "legal") and don't let those bastards in when they knock!
Thanks to the OP! great article on Portugal too. Very eye opening.
Peace good people!
it is all politicians. there on the same side...they just wear different hats. but it is them against us. i believe that one day, a long time ago, the politicians were sincere and honest, sure there were bad ones then too, but the good far outweighed the bad. Then one day it switched and they're all bad now. don't be fooled. these dirtbags lay such a burden on our backs and then never offer any real solutions to any real problems. look at how they play the media against our fears so that we believe that we need big brother to watch our backs and protect us. all the while they're lavishing with "comped" everything and a fat payday. While most of us toil along and do our thing on the down low....constantly worried that big bro's going to take it all.
I suggest that we enlist as many as we can to overgrow! get busy planning and planting! enjoy bountiful harvests of superb buds! stay hidden (even if you're "legal") and don't let those bastards in when they knock!
Thanks to the OP! great article on Portugal too. Very eye opening.
Peace good people!
Latest posts
-
-
-
-
The Real History Of Northern Lights, Written By The Guys Who Did It- Latest: CharlesU Farley
-
Latest posts
-
-
-
-
The Real History Of Northern Lights, Written By The Guys Who Did It
- Latest: CharlesU Farley
-
