Prohibition – Protecting you from old people
77 Year-Old Cannabis Grower Gets 10 Years in Jail, Costing Taxpayers Over $400,000 from CannabisNet on Vimeo.
Don’t you love it when your tax dollars are being used to put a 77-year-old man in prison for ten years for growing plants? For those incapable of picking up on the sarcasm of the statement…no you shouldn’t love it.
However, this just happened. A 77-year-old man was recently sentenced to 10 years in prison for growing over 1000 cannabis plants on his land in Missouri. I’m talking about Charles Frederick White.
How the Story Started
In March 2012, two undercover detectives were following up on a call from a woman who had her identity stolen and saw many of the transactions occur in Polk County – where Charles White lives. Now to clarify, Charles wasn’t the guy using the identity.
The undercover cops couldn’t find the address and decided to stop by the neighbor’s house (White’s). They said that they perceived the strong scent of “skunk-like odor” (or weed). They asked a few questions and left only to come back with a search warrant. Sufficed to say, they dropped the identity theft investigation and pursued the case of Charles White.
When they returned, they discovered more than 1700 plants on his property. The Polk County Sheriff called it the ‘biggest bust in the County’ and since then there was no more reporting on the issue.
This past Wednesday, White was sentenced to 10 years in prison. While the judge was “not keen on giving the sentence’, he was bound by law to do so. According to the judge, he researched in trying to find a way of not sentencing him…but as mentioned, he couldn’t.
It’s also important to note that Charles White requires a cane to walk and his eyesight is failing. Why is it important? Because costing roughly $40,000 per year to maintain a prisoner…we’re talking about $400,000 USD being spent on keeping a non-violent person in prison for growing plants. $400,000 that could have been used to keep murderers, rapist, extortionists in prison…but no…an old man with no violent history will fill that spot.
Discrepancies in the Case
There’s a number of “WTF” moments in this story. For instance, the cops claimed that White’s fence was open, however numerous neighbors testified that it is never open. They also saw the cops get out of their car, unchain the fence and then continued to drive illegally onto the property. Additionally, the outside of the property has a “no trespassing” sign on it. The cops said they didn’t see it. I call bullshit!
Additionally, White has been hounded by the police for years. This came from when him and a friend purchased hydroponics equipment and he became the prime focus on a brief investigation about his doings.
The federal judge could give two shits about what’s right…he sentenced White to 10 years in prison.
Why we should be outraged
I don’t get offended very easily…but this story makes my blood boil. Not in a SJW kind of way. There is actual logic to my outrage.
Firstly, you have essentially sentenced a man to die in prison for doing nothing more than growing plants. It’s fucking nature! Yet because the government deems it to be ‘illegal’, a non-violent man who has always been a good neighbor and father will be thrown into a cage like a withering dog.
Secondly, the vast amount of money spent on keeping this guy in jail, not to mention the money spent on prosecuting, only aids in allowing real criminals to go about their business. $400,000 will be spent on keeping this man behind bars.
Most rapists get out in 5.4 years. Think about that for a second. Someone who goes out, forcibly violates someone sexually…gets caught and is back on the streets in half the time that an old man with no violent history and a preference for growing plants will.
There’s something really unjust about the justice system. Why are we spending this much money on keeping people from smoking cannabis or doing any drug for that matter? Isn’t rape, murder and all those real crimes far worse for society than someone smoking a joint?
It’s stories like these that show us just how out of whack the entire drug prohibition game is. We’re punishing people for doing absolutely nothing. Getting high a personal choice. Growing cannabis is simply growing a plant. Yet, because in 1970, some corrupt politicians used a policy to stifle protests and oppress minorities…it’s worse than rape.
Fan-fucking-tastic!
In all likeliness, White will not survive prison. It will be another victim of the drug war, claiming the life of the innocent and allowing the vile to continue to profit on misery and oppression. If stories like this doesn’t convince you to end prohibition once and for all…you’re the fucking devil!
For those reading this living in Polk County…get active and make some noise. We can’t let a good man wither in a system designed to keep good people behind bars.
I GOT ARRESTED FOR 5 GRAMS, CLICK HERE.
OR...
THE DOWNSIDE OF MARIJUANA, GETTING ARRESTED, CLICK HERE.
