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The Consequences of a Marijuana Conviction

By Jeralyn, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 03:16:17 PM EST
Tags: marijuana, pot (all tags)
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Scooter Libby gets off scot-free for lying and obstructing justice. What happens to those convicted of marijuana offenses? They face life-long consequences.

Marijuana Policy Project reports that The Center for Cognitive Liberty and Ethics has issued the first study of its kind on consequences of a pot conviction. It's available here.

Some of the findings:

  • Sanctions triggered by a marijuana conviction can include loss of access to food stamps, public housing, and student financial aid, as well as driver's license suspensions, loss of or ineligibility for professional licenses, other barriers to employment or promotion, and bars to adoption, voting, and jury service.
  • Sanctions triggered by felony marijuana convictions can be more severe than those for a violent crime — and a felony can be as little as growing one marijuana plant or possessing over 20 grams of marijuana.

The report even lists the sanctions by severity and state. Where's the best place for a convicted pot offender to live?

  • Marijuana offenders are subject to the most severe collateral sanctions in Florida, Delaware, Alabama, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Virginia, and Utah.
  • Marijuana offenders are subject to the least severe collateral sanctions in New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Missouri, and Maine.

By the way, the date of the Life Magazine cover is October 31, 1969.

< Scooter Libby Pays His $250k Fine | A History Lesson For Tony Snow >

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    The Consequences of a Marijuana Conviction | 4 comments (4 topical)

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    GREAT JOB!! (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by COmidnightrider46 on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:04:43 PM EST
    Excellent, those few words say SO MUCH about a failed DRUG WAR!//Timothy (COmidnightrider46)

    Let's NOT FORGET on the Colorado Medical Marijuana front, our NORML LEGAL COMMITTEE members have been working HARD, breaking new ground.

    Denver, CO: On Tuesday, July 3, Chief Denver District Court Judge Larry Naves issued a temporary injunction blocking the enforcement of a rule limiting to five the number of patients to whom a caregiver can provide medical marijuana under state law.

    This suit challenging the limitation on the number of patients a caregiver may serve was brought by NORML Legal Committee members Robert J. Corry and Sean McAllister, and Brian Vicente, the head of Sensible_Colorado, a medical marijuana advocacy group in the state.

    http://www.myfoxcolorado.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=3673616&version=1&locale=EN-U S&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1

    I am going to have to delete your comment because (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by Jeralyn on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:10:53 PM EST
    the url is too long and is skewing the site. Please see the comment rules. URL's must be in html format. Please repost correctly, use the buttons on the top of the comment box.

    [ Parent ]
    OOPS sorry............... (none / 0) (#4)
    by COmidnightrider46 on Wed Jul 11, 2007 at 05:14:32 AM EST
    unable to delete post due to current format, sorry.  Be well.//Timothy

    [ Parent ]
    Yee Haw (none / 0) (#1)
    by JHFarr on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 03:59:11 PM EST
    Ahh, New Mexico...

    Severe sanctions? (none / 0) (#5)
    by buttler on Mon Mar 24, 2008 at 09:26:18 AM EST
    Well some state that marijuana is not a dangerous drug, it doesn't create addiction and actually it has an important medical role for some health affections. I wonder why these sanctions are that severe... Would it be because marijuana is actually a dangerous addictive drug? My guess... yes, for those who are not yet convinced and need a scientific research to tell them about marijuana effects, I suggest them to ask for more informations form people in drug rehabilitation.

    Angry (none / 0) (#6)
    by AndrewO on Mon Sep 14, 2009 at 12:01:26 PM EST
    I am trying not to be angered by the ignorance in your comment. Yes, for some reason, and my guess is blind conservative fear (and to an extend, historical racism, if you actually learn about the history of marijuana legality) marijauna has a reputation as being a harmful drug. So, you say that some of us are holding out for scientific evidence- there's already plenty of it. Furthermore, I have spoken to many clients of a Christian drug rehab and marijuana is never purported to be an addictive drug.

    [ Parent ]
    The Consequences of a Marijuana Conviction | 4 comments (4 topical)

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