Tag: jeff leard columns

History was made Nov. 8 when California, the last frontier in a nation full of immigrants, decided to deny access to public services to many of its inhabitants.

The author of “Ineffective Legislation” talked about the stiff sentences against marijuana, which is a much milder drug than alcohol. He asked, “Why have we reenacted such ineffective legislation which punishes people more harshly for selling marijuana than for killing with a gun?” The answer to his question lies in the legalization of the drug. About 40 million Americans smoke marijuana occasionally. Why not legalize it?

Two years ago, Mark Young was sentenced by Judge Sarah Evans Barker to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. He is not a murderer, rapist or even child molester. Those crimes might have justified such a sentence.