Filling Up Cages Over Plants

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A judge in Alabama recently sentenced a 40-year-old man there to 3 years in prison and 2 years of probation, after he was caught growing 7 marijuana plants in his backyard.

In an attempt at jury nullification, one juror involved in his first trial had allegedly remained adamant that cannabis shouldn't be illegal and therefore wouldn't render a guilty verdict in the case. Unfortunately, many folks today aren't familiar with the history of jury nullification and the reality that jurors can and have rendered not guilty verdicts despite the evidence they were presented with, if they felt the law was unjust or being unfairly applied.

Jurors have been encouraged in the past not just to judge the case itself but the law itself as well, despite many judges and other participants in the legal system today being unaware or not in favor of such a notion.

For his first trial, it ended up with a hung jury because that one juror wouldn't waver on his belief that cannabis shouldn't be illegal and therefore despite whatever evidence they had he wouldn't give a guilty verdict. However, the man was later convicted at his second trial over the incident.

In some states, people are now allowed to grow their own cannabis plants and there is no real local threat against them for doing so, despite federal prohibition which still remains. And yet, here is a man who along with many others like him is being locked in a cage over it, and denied his freedom.

Whether people are growing plants, smoking plants, eating plants, or trading plants, all of those actions are voluntary; they're personal choices. And it's an unjust violation of human rights to initiate violence against someone for such an action.

Alabama specifically, has had a serious issue with overcrowding in their prisons, to the point that they've been previously investigated by the DOJ to see if the conditions promote danger for both officers and inmates. The conditions at their facilities in the state have been described as horrendous, and that's no surprise considering that dozens of sheriffs there have been sued over allegations that they've been misusing prisoner food funds, among other issues.

Law enforcement in Alabama, as in other areas, remain adamant on harassing people and violating the rights of Americans because of a few plants. And we all know that there are other causes out there, situations that involve property right violations and true victims, that should warrant their attention before a few plants should.

It's time for them to switch direction and adjust their priorities.

But law enforcement around the country today are making a lot of money from the drug war, thanks to practices like civil asset forfeiture, they've been making millions. And because of the opportunity for them to make money, and concern for job security, giving that up becomes a less than appealing idea and there's no surprise that many law enforcement agents have aggressively tried to fight against any sort of reform in this manner.

At the end of the day it's the people who suffer, because they are the ones who pay the price. They are the ones who have to have their rights infringed upon because the power-hungry won't acknowledge their inherent right to make their own personal choice about what they put into their body.

Pics:
Doug Shutter via Shutterstock
endthedrug war via pics.onsizzle.com
EstroHaze

Sources:
http://www.enewscourier.com/news/local_news/athens-pot-grower-must-serve-years-of--year-sentence/article_611ea840-2326-11e8-9dd9-e7b33bd8a3b4.html
https://www.thecannabist.co/2018/03/11/alabama-marijuana-plants-prison/101056/
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/28/us/alabama-prison-violence.html
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/violent-overcrowded-alabama-prisons-hit-a-breaking-point%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B