Newsbrief: Bill to Reform Harsh Tennessee Marijuana Sales Law Dies Lonely Death 5/21/04

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Under Tennessee law, selling a half-ounce of marijuana can get you up to six years in prison, and it's going to stay that way for the foreseeable future. State Sen. Steve Cohen (D-Memphis) attempted the not-so-radical move of raising that amount to one ounce, but his bill to do so died because he could not get a single senator to second it in committee, the Nashville City Paper reported this week.

In the land of Elvis, possession of up to a half-ounce of pot is misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail, but selling a half-ounce garners the same penalty as selling 10 pounds: one to six years in prison.

Cohen told the City Paper he made the proposal in the context of proposals to stiffen the state's penalties for methamphetamine possession to make them as tough as those for cocaine. Cohen, who said that marijuana ought to be legalized, added that his experience with the marijuana bill showed how hard it is to undo legislation already on the books. "It just shows, once you pass a bad law, it's difficult to change it," he said.

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Issue #338, 5/21/04 Editorial: Benefit of the Doubt | Vermont Becomes Ninth State to Legalize Medical Marijuana – Other States See Progress and Setbacks | Not With a Bang but a Whimper: California Pain Doctor Frank Fisher Exonerated in Last Criminal Case | Needle Exchange in New Jersey? Atlantic City Says Yes, Attorney General Says No | Dope and Diplomacy in Dublin: European Union Conference Tries to Lay Groundwork for Continental Drug Strategy | Announcing: "The New Prohibition: Voices of Dissent Challenge the Drug War" – New Compendium by Sheriff Masters Features David Borden and Numerous Other Thinkers on Drug Policy | Newsbrief: New Jersey Student Sues Over Drug Tests, Expulsion | Newsbrief: Drug War Invades Ultimate Frisbee | Newsbrief: One in 11 US Prisoners Doing Life, Study Finds | Newsbrief: This Week's Corrupt Cops Story | Newsbrief: Bill to Reform Harsh Tennessee Marijuana Sales Law Dies Lonely Death | Newsbrief: Afghan Government Concedes It Includes Traffickers | Newsbrief: Rural Maryland Cops Force Students to Disrobe During Drug Raid | Web Scan: Ron Paul, Mayor Campbell, Westword, Nature, ACLU-TX Task Force Report, New DPFMA Web Site | Job Opportunity – Research Assistant, Office of Legal Affairs, Drug Policy Alliance, Oakland, California | The Reformer's Calendar

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