Mississippi Marijuana Laws...really?

[aaron]

This web site describes marijuana laws by state. For Mississippi, it just says that it has been decriminalized. More details on each state gives you fines and prison time, it adds this for Mississippi:


The state has decriminalized marijuana to some degree. Typically, decriminalization means no prison time or criminal record for first-time possession of a small amount for personal consumption. The conduct is treated like a minor traffic violation.


http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4516

[selmore]

I meant to read this, but decided to eat a whole bag of Cheetoes and watch Andy Griffith reruns.

[Bluesman]

Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">The state has decriminalized marijuana to some degree. Typically, decriminalization means no prison time or criminal record for first-time possession of a small amount for personal consumption. The conduct is treated like a minor traffic violation.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

I think it is decriminalized in Perry Co. as long as you get the SO1 strain and not none of the good enoweed...:smt118

[IGID]

:rastafari:mexican::bong:

[Bluesman]

I hear the SO1 variety has a lot of stems and seeds in it but the big man wouldn't have it any other way... get that stuff too pure and it cuts into his profits.:laugh:

[mac]

Last time I checked, getting a traffic violation didn't land you in jail. A few years ago, I had to go bail a friend out of the Mendenhall jail because he had 1/8 of one ounce in his car. He had to pay tons of fines, and has a drug charge on his record, albeit a misdemeanor.

Treated like a minor traffic violation???? When's the last time you got cuffed and locked up for speeding??

[Pirate_129]

People get cuffed and locked up for speeding every day. Break the 100 mph mark without a really good reason and meet the right trooper and you'll see. :smt118

Tickets are a courtesy, the officer can make you post bail just as easily. It's just easier and faster for everyone involved to leave it at a ticket. Lot's of things that one can go to jail for can be covered by a post arrest/release citation if set forth by the policies of a particular jurisdiction. Things like possession of paraphernalia, possession of alcohol in a dry county, disorderly conduct, misdemeanor marijuana possession, and numerous others are frequently handled by a "ticket" rather than incarceration at the officers discretion. That's not true for every agency though. Some have policies in place to dictate what can and can't be handled with paper rather than steel.

[EricStratton]

People get cuffed and locked up for speeding every day. Break the 100 mph mark without a really good reason and meet the right trooper and you'll see. :smt118

Tickets are a courtesy, the officer can make you post bail just as easily. It's just easier and faster for everyone involved to leave it at a ticket. Lot's of things that one can go to jail for can be covered by a post arrest/release citation if set forth by the policies of a particular jurisdiction. Things like possession of paraphernalia, possession of alcohol in a dry county, disorderly conduct, misdemeanor marijuana possession, and numerous others are frequently handled by a "ticket" rather than incarceration at the officers discretion. That's not true for every agency though. Some have policies in place to dictate what can and can't be handled with paper rather than steel.

But, I assume one would get cuffed and stuffed if they rolled a doob with the ticket?

[mac]

People get cuffed and locked up for speeding every day. Break the 100 mph mark without a really good reason and meet the right trooper and you'll see. :smt118

Tickets are a courtesy, the officer can make you post bail just as easily. It's just easier and faster for everyone involved to leave it at a ticket. Lot's of things that one can go to jail for can be covered by a post arrest/release citation if set forth by the policies of a particular jurisdiction. Things like possession of paraphernalia, possession of alcohol in a dry county, disorderly conduct, misdemeanor marijuana possession, and numerous others are frequently handled by a "ticket" rather than incarceration at the officers discretion. That's not true for every agency though. Some have policies in place to dictate what can and can't be handled with paper rather than steel.

But 100 mph isn't exactly a MINOR traffic violation. Doesn't that cross the line between speeding and reckless driving?

[cubby 1]

When's the last time you got cuffed and locked up for speeding??


I once got cuffed for an expired inspection sticker.

[SoMissTV]

And apparently they sodomize you for having a burnt out tail light.

At least, that's what some forum posters would have you believe.

[mac]

And apparently they sodomize you for having a burnt out tail light.

At least, that's what some forum posters would have you believe.
:laugh:

[politically incorrect]

I once heard that the laws regarding possession of marijuana were changed back in the late 1960s or early 1970s because a lot of "children" of influential Mississippians were being busted for possession. This is supposedly why possession of less than an ounce is not considered a major violation. Too many rich kids were getting caught with it and their parents put pressure on lawmakers to ease up on junior.

[Pirate_129]

In the early '70's there was a strong move nationwide to lessen the penalties for small amounts of marijuana. This was primarily a result of the spread of some of the "harder" drugs and a bit of a move from the "reefer madness" mentality that had been around since the '30's. Most observers and historians of the drug culture point to the introduction of meth to the "hippies" as the deathblow to the love culture. The proliferation of cocaine in the late '70's and early 80's further reduced the severity in which a portion of society viewed the dangers of marijuana. While I would never advocate the legalization of marijuana for a number of reasons I won't get into here, I acknowledge that a person being caught with a small amount of personal use marijuana doesn't deserve the same punishment as a person with cocaine, meth, heroin, etc.

I would never argue that this move wasn't influenced by "prominent" people as a way of protecting their own families. The simple fact is marijuana tends to be the most "experimental" drug and more people will try it than other narcotics. The government recognized this and acknowledges that a first or second time personal use amount of marijuana shouldn't ruin a person's life. It may end up staying on someone's record if they don't take the steps to get it expunged, but it still doesn't carry the same stigma as a felony conviction.

Mississippi has further relaxed drug laws by allowing very small amounts of other drugs, namely cocaine and methamphetamine, to be charged as a misdemeanor if the officer and/or prosecutor choose to. When I say small amount, I mean > .1 grams which is basically a residual amount. But regardless, this is still a chance for people to walk away from small amounts without being totally ruined.

Anywho, it's time to hit the rack for me. Night night all. :)

[IGID]

But 100 mph isn't exactly a MINOR traffic violation. Doesn't that cross the line between speeding and reckless driving?Not really. You can be driving under the speed limit and still be driving reckless, but just because you are speeding, it doesn't mean you are driving reckless.

[IGID]

But, I assume one would get cuffed and stuffed if they rolled a doob with the ticket?I feel confident that if you twist one up with a prior ticket for possession and get caught, you'd be fitted for the iron bracelets.

[Pirate_129]

I feel confident that if you twist one up with a prior ticket for possession and get caught, you'd be fitted for the iron bracelets.

Yeah but think of the great story it would be, for both sides even. :-D

[bpitt]

Why even have the stuff?

[58ford]

About 20 years ago I got busted for paraphernalia. I had a pipe that I had carved for a friend's birthday. The officers searched the vehicle & one of my friends did indeed have some dope. they found the pipe in a box with birthday wrapping paper on it in my pocket. I thought that if I simply explained to the judge that the pipe was just a gag gift & it had never been used he would realize it was a miss understanding. I was wrong. $50.00 fine.

[Conveyor Belt]

I think paraphernalia laws are 99% bullshit. It's legal to sell it, but illegal to have it? WTF is up with that? I can go into the store and buy rolling papers. Why don't we bust everyone selling a lighter. Afterall, you need the lighter to light the joint. It doesn't matter if you can use it for something else. You MIGHT use it for dope, so here's a ticket. Now, there's very few reasons a person would need a round bottomed glass vial. If they're not a chemist, then yes, ticket them. But for a handpipe, which can be used to smoke tobacco... I've got one, for tobacco only.

[politically incorrect]

When I was a kid I always heard about "Beautiful Day" as a great place to hang out and never knew why. It was just a store to me. Later, I realized why the teenagers loved the place.

Question for our LE members: To be paraphernalia, does it have to contain some kind of trace elements of the drug, or does the drug have to be found in the possession of the person with the paraphernalia?

[Pirate_129]

The test to prove whether an item is drug paraphernalia falls back on the reasonable persons idea. If it can be articulated that an item was going to be used to prepare, package, ingest, etc a listed controlled substance then you have a paraphernalia charge. A residual amount of the drug on the item, an amount of the drug in close proximity, the statement of the defendant (hint: keep your mouth shut), the statement of another person involved, statements made by the defendant to a third party, and, quite honestly, he manner in which a person presents themself to the officer are some but not all of the factors that can prove to be the difference in drug paraphernalia and legal items.

You may also find it interesting that in Mississippi a person cannot be charged with simple possession of marijuana and possession of marijuana paraphernalia. You can be charged with possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle and paraphernalia however.

CB, in reply to your issues, if the place selling the items acknowledge that they are for drug consumption, they are guilty of sale of paraphernalia. That's why head shops always have signs articulating that everything is for tobacco smoking. People are charged with paraphernalia for possessing lighters when it can be articulated that the lighter was for the purpose of ingesting drugs. Another item that had gotten really popular were the little glass tubes that contained a plastic rose. A friend of mine in McComb walked into a troublesome convenience store and asked the clerk for a crack pipe and was sold one of the rose tubes. Believe it or not, the clerk went to jail. :smt118

But in summary, it is all about articulation and intent. It's basically the same test that's applied in deciding whether the guy with Sudafed and red devil lye has a head cold and stopped up drain or is headed to Parchaman for 20 years.

[Bluesman]

When I was a kid I always heard about "Beautiful Day" as a great place to hang out and never knew why. It was just a store to me. Later, I realized why the teenagers loved the place.

Question for our LE members: To be paraphernalia, does it have to contain some kind of trace elements of the drug, or does the drug have to be found in the possession of the person with the paraphernalia?
Damn! Beautiful Day been around that long?:bowrofl:

Hey I heard that if you have a water pipe it is ok but if you have a screen in it then it is paraphanelia... When I was at Purvis I heard that place down on 49 sold bongs but because they didn't have a screen in them they were legal and if you bought one it was considered a water pipe until you put a screen in it... Kids used to steal the screens out of the water faucets for that purpose... Or that is what I was told anyway:shade:

[jmb]

Beautiful Day's been around for a long time. It started out in that little strip mall on W. 4th Street where Pasquale's used to be, next to the old Hess gas station.

[58ford]

Then it was a game room/head shop.I used to frequent it when I was just a mere lad.Sid and Mel getting in fights was the best.I used to get a good chess game up with the brothers grimm from time to time also.I go by the new place over by Sakura's from time to time just to say hi.Since the gameroom shut-down there ain't no-where in the burg I know of to play a good game of foosball.That sucks.
I think they still got foosball at Nick's Ice House.

[jmb]

Then it was a game room/head shop.I used to frequent it when I was just a mere lad.Sid and Mel getting in fights was the best.I used to get a good chess game up with the brothers grimm from time to time also.I go by the new place over by Sakura's from time to time just to say hi.Since the gameroom shut-down there ain't no-where in the burg I know of to play a good game of foosball.That sucks.

Fotno, if you're old enough to remember that, you probably remember The Open Mind on Hardy Street. When waterbeds first came out, I'd heard of them but couldn't imagine the concept. I had been to the dentist across the street and had laughing gas for the first time, and went to The Open Mind afterwards, and got to try out the waterbed for myself. Those were the days... :)

[58ford]

Do they still have the toilet seat bar-stools?
Yep.
I don't know if they still do it, but they put in a pole, & would have "private parties" after they closed & would invite women to pole dance.

[XC9]

I was gonna mow my grass....but i got high
I was gonna paint my house......but i got high
I was gonna finish scool.........but i got high
I was gonna finish this song.....but i got high

etc:smt028:smt034:smt033:faintthud:hippy: I was gonna get high-but I mowed the grass
I was gonna get high but I painted the house.
I was gonna get high-but I went to school.
Dang-by the time I got done I was to tired to get high-GEESH!

[58ford]

A question to the LE folks. How come nobody ever gets busted for dope at Nick's?