Okay. So, if he received a ticket, what is that equivalent to? I don't know, so I'm hoping someone can fill me in. Is it equivalent to him being cited for consumption of alcohol in public? Is it equivalent to driving 20 MPH over the speed limit?
If this were the same case except it were alcohol-related instead of marijuana-related, would we be looking at this differently? I wonder if the pot stigma is shaping the way some people view this.
Before you go tell me, "well it's illegal, so you shouldn't do it." I understand it's illegal, but it's not actually illegal for any good reason when compared to tobacco or alcohol. Think about this - somehow,
marijuana is still a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin, LSD, and ecstasy even though it has been approved for medical use. Straight from the DEA website:
"The abuse rate is a determinate factor in the scheduling of the drug; for example, Schedule I drugs have a high potential for abuse and the potential to create
severe psychological and/or physical dependence.
Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse."
Dilaudid, vicodin, meth, cocaine, demerol, fentynl are all Schedule II drugs. Let that sink in. Anyone who works as a healthcare provider knows patients come in asking for this stuff ALL THE TIME. Guess what happens when you tell them "no". They have a typical addict response: they get angry and manipulative.
If anyone understands how much of a problem long-term use of an anti-depressant similar to Xanax can cause, then they would also be shocked to know that Xanax is a schedule IV drug: "Schedule IV drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a low potential for abuse and low risk of dependence."
https://www.dea.gov/drug-scheduling