On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in Drug Crimes on Monday, October 1, 2018.
Many people across Missouri can likely hold their breath for 48 seconds. That is also about the time it takes for a stellar athlete to turn in a competitive 400-meter time.
Notably, it is also a barometer for something a bit less obvious, yet nonetheless relevant. Reportedly, and as noted in a recent article citing FBI data, “There is now an average of one marijuana bust roughly every 48 seconds” somewhere in the United States.
An arrest-and-conviction number linked with that adds up in a hurry, doesn’t it? It amounts to about 1,800 busts per day on average, every day of the year.
And that is a travesty, states Forbes contributor Tom Angell, who is a long-time marijuana-reform advocate. Angell’s view – which is unquestionably endorsed by a widespread and progressively growing swath of the American public – stresses the illogic of prosecuting individuals for many pot-related charges, especially those narrowly focused solely on possession.
That simply makes no sense, says Angell, who speaks with knowledge that increasing numbers of Americans solidly agree with him. State legislators all across the country are stepping forth to endorse recreational pot legalization or decriminalization, making a hard enforcement stance in minor marijuana cases increasingly untenable.
“Actions by law enforcement run counter to both public support and basic morality,” says a principal with the national advocacy group NORML.
Notwithstanding leniency-linked trends in some American locales, though, Missouri law enforcers continue to take a harsh stance in drug-related cases, even many that are arguably minor in nature and involve first-time nonviolent offenders.
Questions or concerns regarding any type of drug charge in Missouri can be directed to an experienced St. Louis criminal defense law firm.