Drop the Rock!

December 7, 2004 2:15 PM

Reform of the Rockefeller Drug Laws, perhaps the most draconian in the nation, is being seriously debated right now on the floor of the New York State Senate. By the magic of the internets, you can watch this historic event happen, live.
posted by palegirl (12 comments total)

Fascinating...
posted by VanRoosta at 2:27 PM on December 7, 2004

I am so up-to-date on my New York state politics today it's ridiculous. Especially since I don't live there.
posted by Arch Stanton at 2:30 PM on December 7, 2004

Damned Real Player.

But in anycase. Its great that this sort of thing can actually happen these days.

I wonder how my representative will feel when I email him direct quotes from this debate and ask about his position.

Whee!!!!
posted by Freen at 2:31 PM on December 7, 2004

Dude... they're all totally stoned!
posted by Oddly at 2:31 PM on December 7, 2004

I hope they finally do something about it this time. But they never do. Albany never seems to have much interest in the impact of their decisions.
posted by fungible at 2:33 PM on December 7, 2004

This article from the Village Voice touches a bit on the socioeconomic bias in who actually does jail time for drugs in NY.
posted by ba at 2:34 PM on December 7, 2004

So, let me get this straight: people have been talking about the absolute failure of the "War on Drugs" for over a decade and our lawmakers have done nothing about it. However, as soon as the state starts running out of money, they realize, "hey, maybe we could be spending dollars better than by using them to keep someone who once smoked some pot in jail."?

Wow. Maybe the impending doom of our economy will actually have some positive sides...
posted by Yellowbeard at 3:13 PM on December 7, 2004

Yes, yellowbeard. Something our Corporationist leaders may be forced to consider. imprisoning a vast portion of the able bodied workforce for simply engaging in non-destructive, entrepreneurial, economic activity just doesn't seem like a good idea in the long run.

Heck, Marijuana is the second biggest cash crop in the US? First? Think of the tax revenue.
posted by Freen at 3:21 PM on December 7, 2004

Maybe my 401k will pay out in weed!
posted by ba at 3:22 PM on December 7, 2004

ba: In South Africa, it used to be fairly common that workers at vineyards as well as miners would be paid in wine. Lead to Rampant alcoholism. I mean money is addictive, but you don't get the DTs from being broke. Seeing Cheney's love of the Broederbund, (he repeatedly voted to support the white nationalist south african government during the apartheid era, and voted against a resolution supporting the release of nelson mandela) I would not be too terribly surprised to see the practice return. (although I would be a little bit surprised.)
posted by Freen at 3:34 PM on December 7, 2004

Wow. It happened. This is great news.
posted by gwint at 8:58 PM on December 7, 2004

> This is great news.

It's highly non-optimal. I'm not a fan of this part:

The Assembly gave up its calls to give judges the discretion to sentence offenders to treatment instead of prison, to allow more inmates to seek early release and to add more treatment options.

The more of the people convicrted of crimes and need help for a smack habit, say, won't be able to get it? Are we trying to improve the world here, or just hide the parts we don't like?
posted by SteelyDuran at 9:28 PM on December 7, 2004