May 1, 2007
Charges Dropped Against Toking Granny
Possibly the only thing more reassuring than marijuana possession charges being dropped against a 71-year-old is the Daily News's determination to make her into a kind of folk hero by calling her "Ganja Granny." Barbara Jackson, who had been smoking pot during a bout with colorectal cancer, credited marijuana with helping her appetite (her weight was under 100 pounds before the MJ, now it's at 124 pounds). But that excuse wasn't enough for undercover police in her Bronx neighborhood, who arrested her when she bought some pot in March.
High-profile lawyers Ron Kuby and David Pressman rallied to her defense and, yesterday, Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson decided to drop charges because he didn't have the proper paperwork. Some well-wishers at the courthouse told the News how they felt:
"She should be able to smoke her weed in peace," said Alfredo Santos, 49, of the Bronx. "It's helping with the cancer."Kuby also said, "I guess the city said this bud's on us."Another man yelled, "Johnson needs his a-- whipped if he prosecutes granny," referring to Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson.
1010 WINS has a funny audio report of Jackson outside the court.
|
Hooray! Its nice to start off a tuesday with some good news.
what is with the arrest? i though mj possession in small amount for personal use is a violation
Whats disheartening is it was a undercover cop operation. Guaranteed that same day in the bronx somebody got stabbed, somebody got shot, and probably ten apartments got robbed. But arresting local potheads=high priority.
A) I think marijuana use should be legalized, certainly for medical purposes and probably also recreationally.
B) Forgive me for sounding hard-hearted, but given that marijuana use is presently illegal, I don't see why a double-standard should apply just because the Ganja Granny is a sympathetic defendant.
#3 they get stabbed and robbed as part of the drug trade. And believe me when I tell you there are plenty of cops in the Bronx not doing buy and busts. That's a small unit of a large police force. Don't exaggerate.
And it's hysterical that the same people that want to legalize pot are so violently anti-tobacco.
#5 Well, the tobacco companies are going to have to grow something when their business goes down the tubes... yes?
Also, if you can prove to me that a person who smokes pot could smoke the equivalent of a 1/2 pack or a pack of cigarettes a day, I'll give you a dollar.
What's even more hysterical is that you equate pot and cigarettes just because both contain smoke. hhhmmm...
to "mmm. . .drygs"
it is only 'hysterical' because you don't know what you are talking about:
www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=0002491F-755F-1473-B55F83414B7F0000&ref=rss
whyarrest is CORRECT. possession of up to two ounces of marijuana, as long as you are not smoking it in public or it is open to public view (i.e. in a car) AND you have no priors, is only a $100 violation in New York State, not even a misdemeanor. if you are accused of simple possession, you should only be given a desk appearance ticket (DAT) on the spot, or at the most be taken to the precinct and given a DAT. since it is only a violation, you should never be incarcerated or held against your will for this offense. unfortunately police, especially in predominately black and latino neighborhoods, tend to overreact and arrest people, and leave it up to the district attorney's office to dismiss or reduce the charges, i.e. in Ms. Jackson's case. this is why it is so important to KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!!!!
if you get caught smoking marijuana in public (such as in a park) in NYC, you can (and likely will) spend a night or two in jail. i know of many people who have spent time in jail simply for smoking a joint outside.
in this sense the marijuana laws in NYC are ridiculous. don't kid yourselves about it being decriminalized here--far from it.
Some people call marijuana a crutch...
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Yeah! Crutches help people walk, that's a good thing.
Untrue, smoking weed in public will get you arrested--booked--and put in front of a judge.
psst... "msjanaina" said:
whyarrest is CORRECT. possession of up to two ounces of marijuana, as long as you are not smoking it in public or it is open to public view (i.e. in a car) AND you have no priors, is only a $100 violation in New York State, not even a misdemeanor.
carry on...