Soul_Stuff
2yr ago
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.
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.
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