NORML-NJ Board members at 12/14 John Wilson rally
by William Buckman Esq. – New Jersey so often pats itself on the back as a “progressive” state. It’s not, particularly in the area of criminal justice issues, especially drug related issues.
On drug policy, New jersey leads the way in draconian sentencing schemes and obsolete thinking. Somehow the weight of this system is also placed primarily on minorities as New Jersey’s prisons house mostly minorities.
Outside America most of the developed world has long placed marijuana in context. These nations have either legalized use, decriminalized the substance or have made it a minor offense. Inside America many states have embraced reason to allow for medicinal use of a proven medically necessary drug. Some of those same states, and others have accepted the need to make punishments less draconian.
Yet New Jersey still relies on mandatory sentences for amounts of marijuana that would be considered mere possession elsewhere. To inflict maximum unnecessary pain, New Jersey still suspends drivers’ licenses for six to twenty four months, even for less than fifty grams or if the marijuana had no connection to the use of a car. Needless to say it is surrealistic to think that where a state would want to help prevent recidivism, New Jersey helps destroy lives by preventing people to travel to employment, rehab, probation or grocery shopping.
The oddest – and most draconian– New Jersey law declares that one can be guilty of “maintaining or operating a controlled dangerous substance facility” for merely growing ten or more marijuana plants. The penalty: up to twenty years of which one half to one third must be served before one is eligible for parole and up to $750,000.00 in fines. Moreover, it doesn’t matter whether the plants are seedlings or mature.
Anyone of a fair mind, in law enforcement, or otherwise knows that ten plants is minimal to the personal user who wants to avoid the distribution milieu and grow his or her own for personal use. Collective experience in places where medicinal marijuana is allowed shows that ten plants is a minimum for a treatment regime. READ MORE
Bill Buckman is hailed as one of the most skillful, tenacious and dedicated criminal-defense attorneys in New Jersey. He is also a seasoned civil rights lawyer with a comprehensive list of successful cases that have received nationwide attention.
Bill serves on the NORML- New Jersey Board of Directors.
It’s hard to believe we are in the twenty first century the way politicians are permitted to look out for their own interests,and just screw the public with total disregard for peoples lives,in the name of justice. John Wilson is not a criminal,the public knows it,the politicians know it probably even the prosecutor knows it(but he’ll never admit).So the question is why do we continue to destroy people’s lives,when as a supposed civilized society,this should not be happening.The basis for our constitution is liberty,we seem to have lost sight of this fact in America today.
Putting people in jail for smoking a substance just flies in the face of individual liberty,and just goes to show that our politicians can say all they want that they are serving the public, when all they are doing is serving the prisons.
One of our Founding Fathers and architect of the Constitution of The United States said And I quote (The care of human life and happiness,and not their destruction,is the first and only legitimate object of good government. If only we had more politicians of the likes,what a nappy society this would be.