Kentucky Drug Sentencing Reform Bill On The Brink Of Passage

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/feb/24/bill-lessen-penalties-some-drug-offenders-clears-k/?partner=RSS
theres alot more out there this was the first google showed me.
the bill mainly pertains to probation and parole i think.

doowmd said:

It gives me hope (which turns out usually as a bad thing lol) that if the KY govt. is willing to take this step, then maybe as the states around it (Ky) become medical and Ky. legislator's see the income it brings to those states that they'll be willing to take that next step.

Click to expand...

not bloody likely. while indiana and other states bring gambling and more revenue to their coffers, kentucky, thanks to the horse industry, is losing money from it's citizens as they spend it in riverboat casinos in other states. lobbies have a stranglehold on kentucky. trust me, the more other states benefit from any form of extra revenue the lobbies will make sure kentucky NEVER benefits from the same things.

kentucky is a shithole when it comes to progress.

"kentucky is a shithole when it comes to progress."

+1... Kentucky LE makes too much money raiding peoples homes and seizing their chit to go quietly into the night.

I'm shocked but I did read that it passed and the Gov signed it into law on March 3, 2011! God, I hope that's true! S

Woo Hoo! Maybe MMJ is next! I emailed NORML and asked them to do a write up on just what the bill passage means to residents. Thanks for the heads up on this GREAT news!

P.S. KY just got its first NORMLchapter at EKU. S

It might be awhile for mmj in Ky., but I belive it will be. Like I said in a previous post, if In., or Tn., pass a mmj law Ky. will be sure to follow! Money talks and there's plenty to be made from alot of angles w/ mmj! Ky. politicians will realize this in due time, and we all know what runs politicians decision engines!

Smuggler said:

"kentucky is a shithole when it comes to progress."

+1... Kentucky LE makes too much money raiding peoples homes and seizing their chit to go quietly into the night.



I'm shocked but I did read that it passed and the Gov signed it into law on March 3, 2011! God, I hope that's true! S

Click to expand...

well i know after seeing a show on pot and hearing a lot of crap coming out of some kentucky LEO's mouth about he'll never stop trying to get rid of it from kentucky it gave me a real good idea how entrenched kentucky LE is on fighting MJ. spending money the state doesnt really have to try and eradicate something they'll never actually get rid of completely. and for what? how is anyone benefiting from the spending of money to burn crops when the state cant afford to pour money into failing ventures? i'm not saying this because of my own bias. ive been saying this when i wasnt smoking and had nothing to do with the herb. it just doesnt make sense to fight something that would bring in more revenue from legalizing it at least to some extent, regulating it and taxing it. you invest in things that gives more than you're putting into it, the government thinks losing more money is a better idea.

the powers that be are jackasses.

CheebaNinja said:

well i know after seeing a show on pot and hearing a lot of crap coming out of some kentucky LEO's mouth about he'll never stop trying to get rid of it from kentucky it gave me a real good idea how entrenched kentucky LE is on fighting MJ. spending money the state doesnt really have to try and eradicate something they'll never actually get rid of completely. and for what? how is anyone benefiting from the spending of money to burn crops when the state cant afford to pour money into failing ventures? i'm not saying this because of my own bias. ive been saying this when i wasnt smoking and had nothing to do with the herb. it just doesnt make sense to fight something that would bring in more revenue from legalizing it at least to some extent, regulating it and taxing it. you invest in things that gives more than you're putting into it, the government thinks losing more money is a better idea.

the powers that be are jackasses.

Click to expand...

I'm saying eventually that's what the politicians will realize. And, of course, more money into the state means more money into their pockets! And that's when we'll see MMJ in Ky., when they come to that realization. I predict in the next 8-12 yr.s,

I mean they've already shown they can at least be reasonable about listening to suggestions about it by passing this drug reform law.And I don't think that Ky. has very harsh mj laws now at all compared to some other states.
Because now in Ky. 45 days in jail is all you can get for possession up to 8 oz. compared to Florida where 20+ grams is a felony & can get ya up to five years in prison!
If they're willing to pass laws like that......where you can have up to a half pound and get no more than a fine (basically) then, IMO, that's not too many steps away from passing a MMJ law. But I can bit a bit hopeful at times!

As far as my opinion goes, here it is. Kentucky IS the buckle of the Bible belt.

From everything I have read and seen, KY LE ranks are made up of mainly Christian fundamentalists and they have bought into the idea that eliminating pot is a Godly endeavor.

I don’t even think they know or care that the Bible states, God himself gave us this plant, and as the Bible puts it (to paraphrase), every herb and green grass are “for our benefit”.

They have really lost touch with that “little inconvenient Bible fact” and really just don’t care. All they know that it makes them feel like they are doing “good works” in destroying crops of medicine. That makes them justify anything they do and is what makes them the most dangerous.

They are TRUE ZEALOTS and believe they are saving people from the Devil, hell and damnation. They won’t ever understand that there is a medical use and medical benefits. They just see it as the Devils weed and destroyer of lives.

You have to give it to the Liquor and Prescription Drug industries, they have done their job well in deceiving the churches, LE and politicians into a blind submission and obedience in order to protect their turf.

The politicians are the only answer in KY, the laws must be changed before the LE community will stop the onslaught. LE sees and judges a medical patient using cannabis the same as a murderer or something. It truly is mind boggling how closed minded they seem to be.

I think they would try to arrest God himself because he created and planted marijuana. Just freakin mind boggling. S

im back here from michigan, and i gotta say its pretty sad

Here's the latest update from the folks over at the Marijuana Policy Project:

March 4, 2011

After sailing through the House (97-2) and Senate (38-0), a sensible sentencing reform bill was signed into law by Gov. Steve Bashear (D) yesterday. H.B. 463 will reduce personal possession of less than eight ounces of marijuana from a Class A misdemeanor, with a penalty of up to a year in jail, to a Class B misdemeanor, with a maximum 45 day jail term. This change will go into effect on approximately June 24.
Additionally, it appears that individuals solely accused of marijuana possession will be cited — not arrested — under H.B. 463. If there are reasonable grounds to believe the individual will appear in court, H.B. 463 provides that police may not arrest people for misdemeanors. There are some exceptions. For example, an officer may (but is not required to) arrest in cases of a refusal to follow an officer’s reasonable instructions, and for offenses in which the defendant poses a risk of danger to himself or others.
During the floor debate, legislators discussed passing a “Phase 2” bill next year, and we can all work hard together to encourage lawmakers to reduce the penalty for marijuana possession to a non-criminal fine, as is the case in Mississippi and Ohio. Thank you to everyone who took action!
Sincerely,

Noah Mamber
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

West Virginia Summary History (last action date) House Bill:
HB 3251

(100 KB) "A qualifying patient shall not be subject to arrest, prosecution or penalty in any manner, or denied any right or privilege... for the medical use of marijuana, provided that the patient possesses a registry identification card and no more than six marijuana plants and one ounce of usable marijuana."

Also allows for affirmative defense, immunity for registered primary caregivers, protection for physicians, and the creation of compassion centers. Introduced by Rep. Mike Manypenny (D) and referred to House Judiciary committee (Feb. 21, 2011)

Click to expand...

sounds like Michigans setup, except on the plant count and on hand amounts. we have 12, with 2.5 on hand. the 12 is ok, seems 6 would be TOO limiting to allow for ample supply. and 1oz would be a fairly low amount as well imo. its a start, but if you can pass, try to get the usable number to 3 oz or 4 if possible. If you make it for Food, you ll need more on hand, so your processing can be used. Some of the more Serverly ill could smoke/use an oz in a week or so. That Pt will need to have more on hand, as its not like you can run to Walgreens and refill.

Kentuckians may have been duped here

A post was made regarding KY law changes, that post is seemingly questionable. I did a little research and found this on the site that was referenced. There is a stark difference in stories and I will leave it to you all to decide why.

Here is what I found on the Marijuana Policy Project found at http://www.mpp.org/states/kentucky/

I really don’t know what the story is. S

To Quote MPP:
Kentucky maintains same old broken marijuana laws

Last update: February 14, 2011
On January 4, the Kentucky Legislature returned for its 2011 session. The Task Force on the Penal Code and Controlled Substances Act, a committee created to find cheaper alternatives to incarceration, prepared an excellent 100-page sentencing reform bill, based on its report. The bill would reduce penalties for low level offenses for drug possession and trafficking to probation and addiction treatment, rather than prison. Currently, one fourth of Kentucky’s prison population is serving time for drug-related offenses. Unfortunately, the February 14 deadline for stand-alone bills passed without the legislation being sponsored.

Learn more about Kentucky's marijuana laws
Dubiously, Kentucky is tied for third in the nation in marijuana arrest rates and marijuana penalties for possession of one ounce (which carries up to one year in jail along with a $500 fine). In 2007, Kentucky arrested a whopping 20,329 people for marijuana offenses. Please write to your legislators and ask them to stop arresting people for possessing marijuana, or to end marijuana prohibition entirely. You can learn more about Kentucky’s marijuana laws by reading this report by economist Jon Gettman, Ph.D.

Medical Marijuana
Sadly, not one Kentucky legislator came forward in 2011 on behalf of sick and dying patients who use medical marijuana to introduce a stand-alone bill to protect them. Please send your state legislators an e-mail today letting them know that you still hope to see legislative language introduced in 2011 that will provide medical marijuana patients with the protections they need. In addition to writing your legislators, you can find out how else you can help here.

If you are supportive and are a medical professional, a seriously ill patient who might benefit from medical marijuana, a law enforcement official, a clergy member, or a member of the legal community, or you know someone else that is, please e-mail [email protected] to see how you can be of special help. Please include your address or nine-digit ZIP code.

Smuggler said:

Kentuckians may have been duped here

A post was made regarding KY law changes, that post is seemingly questionable. I did a little research and found this on the site that was referenced. There is a stark difference in stories and I will leave it to you all to decide why.

Here is what I found on the Marijuana Policy Project found at http://www.mpp.org/states/kentucky/

I really don’t know what the story is. S

To Quote MPP:
Kentucky maintains same old broken marijuana laws

Click to expand...

When you follow the link you posted^^^ it takes ya to a page w/ the link to the story I posted dated march 4. Here it is:http://www.mpp.org/states/kentucky/alerts/kentucky-yes-thats-right.html
And wat ya mean by "that post is seemingly questionable"?
I'm really not understanding wat, exactly, ur gettin at?
I didn't change the stories or fuckin make em up so wat's ur deal? seems like the new session convened and they hammered out a drug reform bill ,based on recommendations, that will take effect in June. simple as that.

Having not seen any other reference in the media to the law changes, I started looking into this further. I checked out the NORML site and they had nothing on it. I emailed them for clarification and they never got back to me. I felt that if a bill this substantial had passed, they surely would have known about it and celebrated its victory.

I read the page on MPP that I provided a link to and it said “The bill would reduce penalties for low level offenses for drug possession and trafficking to probation and addiction treatment, rather than prison. Currently, one fourth of Kentucky’s prison population is serving time for drug-related offenses. Unfortunately, the February 14 deadline for stand-alone bills passed without the legislation being sponsored.” That meant that it couldn’t have been up for a vote because all bills need sponsorship to go up for vote in KY.

Knowing that a Democratic majority house & senate was voted out and more conservative members took their place, I didn’t see the state becoming more liberal. In fact, the MPP stated “Sadly, not one Kentucky legislator came forward in 2011 on behalf of sick and dying patients who use medical marijuana to introduce a stand-alone bill to protect them.”

At first I didn’t find anything on the MPP site about this bill. I will also add that MPP is the only site that I have seen anything on this bill. I have no experience with MPP and don’t know anything about them so I will continue to check further into this bill with other sources.

I’ll eat my words here and say that after looking harder into this, I did find the following on the site you sited. I found it at this link. http://www.mpp.org/states/kentucky/alerts/kentucky-cuts-drug-sentences.html

"Kentucky has become the latest state to enact sentencing reforms in a bid to rein in skyrocketing corrections costs. Gov. Steve Beshear (D) last Thursday signed into law HB 463, a comprehensive corrections bill that will save the state millions of dollars a year, in part by sentencing drug possession offenders to probation instead of prison.

The new law lowers possession of less than an ounce of marijuana from a Class A misdemeanor worth up to a year in jail to a Class B misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of 45 days in jail, if any jail sentence is imposed."

I admit that I didn't see it at first and that I erred on the side of caution. Sorry for any confusion or misunderstanding this may have caused. S

http://ky.usmjparty.org/politics/45-politics/480-kentucky-hb-463.html
"House Bill 463 is landmark legislation not only for the positive changes it proposes for our penal code, but also for the manner in which it became law," said Speaker Greg Stumbo. "Anytime you can bring together as many diverse groups as this bill did, and have them agree, you're on to something special. Rep. John Tilley and Sen. Tom Jensen did a tremendous job in getting this bill to the finish line."
"Sentencing reforms are becoming increasingly popular as cash-strapped states face ever increasing budget pressures. South Carolina, Colorado, New York, and Texas are among states that have reformed sentencing and other corrections practices to lower imprisonment rates and save money. Similar efforts are pending in Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Pennsylvania."

"Sentencing reforms don't end drug prohibition, but they do somewhat reduce its inhumanity and its costs to society, as well as to the people busted for drug offenses. That's a start."

Theres been countless theorys on when ky is gonna become a medical state, if you check out Gatewood Galbraith hes been running for gov or ky for like the last 6 years, his prediction is that within the next 4-5 years mmj will be in ky, his believe is that the common wealth state is sticking with tennessee and if 1 goes so will the other.

Oya Ky is not the bible belt, maybe areas that are close to it but dont let the rumors of toothless hillbillys who dont wear shoes and fuck there sisters foul you, alabama is way worse lol

Thanks for that post Newstrain'. +rep (cause they do fuck their sisters in Alabama. In Ky, they only fuck their cousins! Sister fuckin....ewww! lmao)

i know! who could fuck there sister? thats just gross,,, a cousin tho... thats fair game lol

ouch, lived here all my life and never met any of my cousins. Much less F@#%'d them. Thanks guys. It's hard enough to be a peaceful "barefoot, redneck, hillbilly" without all that.
Worked my ass off in the horse industry and loved every minute of it. Racehorses are fine, galloping around the racetrack, the morning sun kissing the tops of the trees as it rises, steam floating out from the horses nostrils with each stride, I'm feeling exultant, it's great. A couple of tokes before I ride my first horse of the morning and getting paid too........
The laws suck and the good ol boys got it all tied up nice and tight. All that federal money to eradicate marijuana. Those guys don't want to give that up, they are having way too much fun playing with their big boy toys. 4 wheeling, ATV's, Helicopters, all of the beautiful Daniel Boone National Forestry to play in and getting paid too!!