[Maritime Q-Scout]

A friend of friends of mine (yeah I know that's how every made up story starts, but this is true I swear) got pulled over last week. Turns out he had $25,000 worth of marijuana and LSD in his car.

Now the debate I've been having is, the folks that don't know the guy (myself being one) are arguing that he should be going to jail. Transporting $25K of illegal narcotics is enough for me to say "off to federal penitentiary you go". However those that do know the guy are arguing that he's a good guy that got mixed up in a bad situation, all stemming from a bad breakup with his ex-girlfriend. Apparently he took a real downward spiral, and fell in with the wrong crowd. Now after getting caught with $25K worth of drugs, he has apparently cut ties with the crowd he was hanging out with, and stopped using altogether. The argument is being made that because he's a good guy and this is uncharacteristic he shouldn't have the black mark on him as being a drug dealer, nor should he be serving federal time. A stern warning would be enough to straighten him out (I don't know him, but from all accounts he already has been scared straight, and for the sake of argument I'll accept that).

There is also an argument being made that "weed shouldn't be illegal anyway, so really he hasn't done anything that wrong, why should he be lumped in with drug dealer, and murderers when most people have smoked it anyway."

I can't get past the $25,000 worth of illegal narcotics. Bad crowd, poor decision, or no, I say to prison you go. You do the crime you do the time. Should it be as harsh on first offence with a clean record? No, but still time regardless.

I don't have all the facts and figures. I don't know the guy in question. However I just wanted to know if I"m completely looney for thinking that he should be doing time, period.

It seems people that know him defend him, people that don't are following closer to the letter of the law. As well there's the, marijuana isn't really bad and shouldn't be illegal so what's the big deal argument too.