Thursday, July 31, 2008

The Tragedy That Is Pot Prohibition

And remember, this is ABC (Anal Broadcasting Company) that is reporting this as the tragedy that it is!

ABC News: Are Pot Users Criminals? The Tragic Case of Rachel Hoffman
After being caught twice with a "baggie" of marijuana, 23-year old Rachel Hoffman was reportedly told by police in Tallahassee, Florida that she would go to prison for four years unless she became an undercover informant.

The young woman, a recent graduate of Florida State University, was murdered during a botched sting operation two months ago.

"The idea of waging a war on drugs is to protect people and here it seems like we're putting people in harm's way," said Lance Block, a lawyer hired by Rachel's parents.

The Florida Attorney General's office says it is reviewing the procedures and protocol of the Tallahassee police.

Rachel's case also has raised new questions about state and federal laws related to marijuana possession.

"I'm calling her a criminal," Tallahassee police chief Dennis Jones told 20/20, who maintains that both drug dealers and drug users are considered criminals to his department.

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You can now watch Friday's excellent 20/20 segment on Rachel Hoffman here. There is also an expanded essay on this tragic situation here.

But, hell, who cares. We've got a war to wage, people to kill, money to make! So what if there is a little collateral damage (or a lot) and a few pot heads get killed. We were gonna kill 'em anyway.