WOW!!!!!!! Life sentence for pot? No wonder @PurplePride92 never goes to the Show Me State.

 

 

 

 

A man sentenced to life without parole on a marijuana-related charge was freed Tuesday from a Missouri prison after being behind bars for more than two decades — a period in which the nation's attitudes toward pot steadily softened.

 

 

Family, friends, supporters and reporters flocked to meet Jeff Mizanskey as he stepped out of the Jefferson City Correctional Center into a sunny morning, wearing a new pair of white tennis shoes and a shirt that read "I'm Jeff & I'm free."

"I spent a third of my life in prison," said Mizanskey, now 62, who was greeted by his infant great-granddaughter. "It's a shame."

After a breakfast of steak and eggs with family, Mizanskey said, he planned to spend his post-prison life seeking a job and advocating for the legalization of marijuana. He criticized sentencing for some drug-related crimes as unfair and described his time behind bars as "hell."

His release followed years of lobbying by relatives, lawmakers and others who argued that the sentence was too stiff and that marijuana should not be forbidden.

Mizanskey was sentenced in 1996 — the same year California became the first state to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. Medical marijuana is now legal in 23 states, and recreational marijuana has been legalized in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington state and Washington, D.C.

 

 

Man who got life for marijuana charge goes free in Missouri

Obviously the penalty was too harsh in the beginning. Life in prison with no parole should only be given to people who murder, rape...that sort of thing. However, I don't exactly feel that bad for him. He obviously was a drug dealer. Dealing drugs is NOT a non-violent crime IMO. How many people are killed or lives ruined every day because of people dealing drugs?

Obviously the penalty was too harsh in the beginning. Life in prison with no parole should only be given to people who murder, rape...that sort of thing. However, I don't exactly feel that bad for him. He obviously was a drug dealer. Dealing drugs is NOT a non-violent crime IMO. How many people are killed or lives ruined every day because of people dealing drugs?

 

I'd venture to guess that a large majority of guys who deal marijuana only are non-violent. There isn't enough money in it for people to be territorial and violent over it like the other illicit drugs. You won't see marijuana dealers shooting at each other for corners.

WOW!!!!!!! Life sentence for pot? No wonder @PurplePride92 never goes to the Show Me State.

 

 

 

 

A man sentenced to life without parole on a marijuana-related charge was freed Tuesday from a Missouri prison after being behind bars for more than two decades — a period in which the nation's attitudes toward pot steadily softened.

 

 

Family, friends, supporters and reporters flocked to meet Jeff Mizanskey as he stepped out of the Jefferson City Correctional Center into a sunny morning, wearing a new pair of white tennis shoes and a shirt that read "I'm Jeff & I'm free."

"I spent a third of my life in prison," said Mizanskey, now 62, who was greeted by his infant great-granddaughter. "It's a shame."

After a breakfast of steak and eggs with family, Mizanskey said, he planned to spend his post-prison life seeking a job and advocating for the legalization of marijuana. He criticized sentencing for some drug-related crimes as unfair and described his time behind bars as "hell."

His release followed years of lobbying by relatives, lawmakers and others who argued that the sentence was too stiff and that marijuana should not be forbidden.

Mizanskey was sentenced in 1996 — the same year California became the first state to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. Medical marijuana is now legal in 23 states, and recreational marijuana has been legalized in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington state and Washington, D.C.

 

 

Man who got life for marijuana charge goes free in Missouri

 

I'm out of the loop. I thought Washington and Colorado were the only recreational pot states.

It's hard for me to wrap my mind around the idiocy of someone going to jail for LIFE over WEED.

I don't care either way, regarding releasing him and agree that life for selling marijuana is excessive. However, I'm sure he knew the consequences when he was selling the marijuana and for since stupid reason still did it, and got caught. That's dumb too...

I don't care either way, regarding releasing him and agree that life for selling marijuana is excessive. However, I'm sure he knew the consequences when he was selling the marijuana and for since stupid reason still did it, and got caught. That's dumb too...

 

I was going to say the same thing. I think the sentence is extremely harsh but that was the law and he willfully broke it and knew the consequences. If the U.S. passes a law that says if you are caught speeding more than 10 mph over the speed limit, we are going to cut your hands off. I would fight that law forever, but guess what, no way I get caught going faster than 10mph.

I was going to say the same thing. I think the sentence is extremely harsh but that was the law and he willfully broke it and knew the consequences. If the U.S. passes a law that says if you are caught speeding more than 10 mph over the speed limit, we are going to cut your hands off. I would fight that law forever, but guess what, no way I get caught going faster than 10mph.

 

Bolded could be a big deal.

 

I was going to say the same thing. I think the sentence is extremely harsh but that was the law and he willfully broke it and knew the consequences. If the U.S. passes a law that says if you are caught speeding more than 10 mph over the speed limit, we are going to cut your hands off. I would fight that law forever, but guess what, no way I get caught going faster than 10mph.

 

Agreed. It's incredibly stupid to put someone in jail for life just for selling weed. It's also incredibly stupid to sell weed knowing you could go to jail for life.