So, said student is chosen to read his essay, which is arguing for the legalization of marjuana, in front of the entire school. During the reading of said essay, student lights up a joint, smokes it, and then EATS it. :rolleyes:
Now, I’m all for legalizing weed. On the other hand, if you’re going to argue for it, I don’t think this is a very persuasive demonstration. (And I know, civil disobediance and all that, but something tells me that wasn’t what this kid had in mind…)
Sounds like eating it was a smart move. The article said he consumed it by the time the officer arrived - which means he was no longer in possession of marijuana. If they didn’t find anything else on him, he should be acquitted.
It’s not a crime to smoke marijuana, only to possess it. Without seizing any they don’t have much of a case - would love to hear a legal opinion on this.
ETA: of course I’m speculating on the legal aspect - as far as the school’s disciplinary actions against him go, they can do whatever they want.
I’m sure he knew what the consequences would be, although being that age he might not have thoroughly considered the long-term implications. Still, such an act of defiance for the sake of an ideal is noteworthy. Can’t say what he was really thinking without knowing the kid, though.
He smoked a joint, he wasn’t shooting up! One joint won’t have affected his decisions that much. I’m sure the decision to eat it was pre-planned, to get rid of the evidence.
I disagree. What is finally going to be the topping point for legalizing pot is the ammount of money our governement puts into it. Citing this kid or arresting him and putting through the court system will help the cause. Thats just one more statistic that is going to be quoted. This isn’t as bad as the dorm room college kid who was shot by security for having a joint.
The defense would argue against their credibility to identify it as mj smoke. Do they know what the substitutes smell like? Do they know what burning oregano smells like?
He’s 17. Smoking a tobacco hand-rolled cig is illegal, and against (most?) school’s zero-tolerance policies, too. ETA: Heck, in some schools, possessing a lighter or matches is enough for action to be taken.
I’m kind of torn. I have no way of knowing if this was civil disobedience or a rebel without a cause. If the first, I’d congratulate him on getting this into the newspapers, commiserate with him on how stupid drug laws are, and sympathize with him about the jail time and/or expulsion he chose to take on his record to stand up for what he believes in. If the later, I’d smack him upside the head for being an idiot.
Really, in this case, intention does make all the difference.
