Soul_Stuff
1yr ago
I know that this is moving the goalposts, but even with little to no jail time an arrest and drug conviction can absolutely derail a person's life. A felony conviction will cost you several rights off the bat like the right to vote, own a firearm, and serve on a jury. Careers in government and health care will be permanently off limits as well. Most other traditional, high paying careers will become vastly more challenging to pursue as will renting a place to live (background checks are routine). Needless to say if you ever interact with the justice system again, e.g. in a child custody case, criminal convictions will be held against you.
All that is to say that just because someone isn't sitting behind bars doesn't mean that they aren't being punished.
It's been difficult for me to process my reaction to this news. I was nearly eaten alive by the criminal justice system for drug crime, and I escaped by virtue of good luck and a fire hose of money to douse the problem with. Human suffering can take many forms, but the detached, kafkaesque horror of being prosecuted and imprisoned for a crime that nobody even cares about anymore is... unique.
I cannot mourn a tragedy in progress. It is only when the threat has passed that I can begin to grieve, both for my own loss and for others. Hearing the president crack open the door to ending prohibition gave me a taste of that. I hope that I can release the rest of my tears soon enough.
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