Jackson Free Press

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood is asking Gov. Haley Barbour to include a bill banning synthetic marijuana during Friday's special legislative session.

Several Mississippi districts have already banned synthetic marijuana, or "spice," which has marijuana-like effects. Neither the federal nor state government classify spice as an illegal narcotic.

"Many cities and counties have enacted local ordinances imposing misdemeanor penalties for sale or possession of 'Spice'," Hood wrote in his request to Barbour. "However, comprehensive regulation is needed to truly protect the children and citizens of this state."

The Legislature will convene Friday for a special session to approve incentives aimed at luring a $500 million economic development project to the state. Gov. Haley Barbour announced the session Aug. 20 but gave few details on the project.

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So let me get this straight- We don't have room in our prisons for people who shoot dogs and set cats on fire, but we've got PLENTY of room for people who like to spark a bowl, listen to Reggae, and giggle in the privacy of their own homes? "comprehensive regulation is needed to truly protect the children and citizens of this state." Protection? From what? Ordering out for pizza and watching Kung Fu? Certainly not protection from a ruined permanent record and a lifetime of mundane retail and fast-food work, because a spice possession charge they got 3 years ago ripped them of any chances of finding fulfilling work. This isn't about protection. This is about needless pandering to the paranoid 80 year-old voters who grew up inundated with the laughable "reefer madness" propaganda of the 1930s, where everyone was told that being high from "the devil's weed" made white women jump in bed with black jazz musicians. There isn't ONE reason why marijuana should remain illegal. And there is absolutely NO reason to criminalize spice. You want to "protect" children and citizens, General Hood? How about you criminalize tobacco? Or alcohol? Or Pizza Hut? Because, after all, cigarettes, booze and obesity kill hundreds of thousands of Americans every year. Guess how many people died from smoking weed last year? Or spice? None. This is EXACTLY the wrong situation our state needs to be heading. Hood, I like you 9 times out of 10, but there's always that one time where your Houlkamania gets the best of you. Keep it up, Mississippi. Why be 51st out of 50 states when we could be 53rd! We'll throw Guam and Puerto Rico in the mix, too. Seriously. We're last in EVERYTHING. Can we try something risky? Just once? Like taxing rich folks for their fair share? Or legalizing a completely harmless drug like cannabis and generating hundreds of millions in revenue?

C_Gibby

Aug 25 2010

Well, I have heard of deaths from smoking spice, but not marijuana. Maybe people have died while smoking marijuana, but I don't think anybody has ever "overdosed" on it. I think they should ban the synthetic stuff and legalize marijuana. I'm not a pot smoker myself, but I never understood why it's illegal. It certainly isn't as dangerous as alcohol.

Tre

Aug 26 2010