Wednesday 27 April 2011

Judging the Judges on Cannabis Justice - or lack of it?

Considering that all Judges would claim to represent the Law of their land and Justice, it is puzzling how they differ in their attitudes to the same plant that brings relief and relaxation to hundreds of millions of people throughout the world.

Just look at these headline sand quotes  from this week's press:

Five cannabis plants not punishable | Radio Netherlands Worldwide

“The quantity and the weight of the cannabis crop obtained from a cultivation limited to five plants are irrelevant.”

Plea for longer sentences for cannabis growers - Local - Evening Telegraph
 
“The seriousness of this offence is not reflected in sentences that we are able to pass and I appeal for revised sentencing guidelines from the guideline council.”
In a recent case at Northampton Crown Court, Truong Luu, 30, was found guilty of setting up and running a cannabis factory capable of netting thousands of pounds.

He was jailed for four years for producing the Class B drug on a commercial scale in Kettering. He will be deported when his sentence is complete.
  TRIO FACE DEATH IN CANNABIS CASE - Brunei
 Bandar Seri Begawan - The High Court has received three defendants facing the death penalty for drug charges after a preliminary inquiry into the case had been carried out.
Mohammad Ameer bin Salleh, 24, Noor Sa'adah binti Emran, 21, and Abdul Razak bin Matali, 27, face a charge of importing 1266.786 grammes of cannabis from Bangkok, Thailand on August 7, 2010.
So for an amount that can legally be grown and possessed in The Nethrlands, less than allowed for Dutch Coffeeshops, if grown in the UK will attract a prison sentence that the Judge feels is too little, and in other countries can lead to a death sentence.

Where is the Justice in laws and guidelines that differ so much between countries?   When will some body such as the United Nations that is ultimately responsible through their Treaties for so much unjustifiable and excessive punishment step in and sort this out?

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