Possession of MJ carries more penalty than spying for a foreign government
 

Spy suspects could plead guilty, be deported soon - Jul 2010

New York (CNN) -- Ten suspected Russian spies in the United States could enter guilty pleas Thursday and be swiftly deported, possibly as soon as Thursday night, a source with detailed knowledge of the investigation told CNN.

The source said the suspects are expected to plead guilty in federal court in New York to one of the current charges against them -- failing to register as a foreign agent -- and will likely be sentenced to time already served since they were arrested at the end of June.

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:2 cents: So.... let me get this right... these people are actual foreign spies, and "time served" (since they were arrested at the end of June) = less than 2 weeks? And they simply get deported back to their home?

How many people are rotting in federal prisons for possession of a little MJ?

As a country, we are fucking doomed. Our priorities are seriously all fucked up. If we make it another 20 years as a superpower, I will be fucking shocked and dumbstruck.

amazing isn't it? sure is silly to incarcerate people for possession of a plant imo.

they will get some agents back for that banch

This is part of a deal to get some people convicted (in Russia) of spying on behalf of the U.S. back into the U.S. -- so it's "spy for a spy" so to speak.

If someone facing charges for marijuana possession has something to offer the prosecution that the prosecutor finds interesting and/or wants (like information on a more serious criminal and/or crime), they can get a deal, too. It sucks, but it is what it is: the way the prosecutor's game is played, pure and simple.

If you want to find better indication of our national criminal justice-related priorities being out of line, look at the sentencing for the crime the defendant is charged with, not the deals they are offered, which are based largely on something other than the crime alleged in the case.

For example, look at the sentence being faced by the fellow accused of contracting to sell shoulder-launched missiles to an FBI agent who was posing as a terrorist, and compare that to the maximum sentence Rob Black could have been hit with if he had been convicted of all the counts in his obscenity trial, instead of copping a plea.

You will not be happy with what you find when you make that comparison.

You can fill a form in to register as a spy?

Pretty standard to just send foreign spies home though so not really massively controversial.

Also, tough-on-pot laws are easy enough to pass in one short term of office and influence your next political career move. Second hand smoke laws are like that. NY is trying to make it fashionable to tax sugary sodas as well. And ban transfats. Popular support seems easy for that stuff.