Ahhhhh in a perfect world this bill would pass. Unfortunately we live in the good ol' USA, where money and greed takes precedence over what ought to be done
. I doubt this will ever pass. Way too much money is at stake.
America:
About 5% of the world's population and about 25% of the world's prison population
-"Despite that initial defeat, Correction Corporation of America since then has successfully expanded, as have other
for-profit prison companies. As of December 2000, there were 153 private correctional facilities (prisons, jails and detention centers) operating in the United States with a capacity of over 119,000."
-"half of all persons incarcerated under state jurisdiction are for non-violent offenses, and 20% are incarcerated for drug offenses (in State prisons, Federal prison percentages are higher)."
Oh and don't forget about keeping minorities down:
Take NYC for instance
"Whats happening is that disproportionate numbers of black and brown young men, ages 16 to 29, are being duped into publicly revealing their allowable marijuana and then being arrested, thereby gaining a criminal record, advocates say. Police officers will say, Empty your pockets! turning a routine stop into an arrest and a police record.
'In 2010 in New York State, there were 54,000 marijuana arrests 50,000 of them came from New York City, and surprise, surprise from neighborhoods that primarily are black, Latino and low income, says Kyung Ji Kate Rhee, executive director of the IJJRA. Its not like these individuals had a felony charge and marijuana happened to be an additional charge Youre telling me that 50,000 had marijuana in plain view? Does that sound right to you? After that initial point of police contact, they trick you into turning out your pockets.
The NYPD did not respond to requests for comment. (The Root)'"
http://valetudocafe.wordpress.com/2...inorities-for-marijuana-heres-how-they-do-it/
Even if this bill passed, it's still up to the states to decide whether Cannabis should be legal or not. Who knows how long some states will hold out.