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jfromtheway
Joined: 20 Nov 2010
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 Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:20 pm Post subject: |
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| "Penalties vary" is a very loose way to argue. Especially when comparing a small narco-police state to a huge and diverse US. I doubt many Korean cops would simply break your pipe and give you a warning. I wonder what the penalties were here 15 years ago. I also wonder why they often just deport people instead of collecting bribe money and incarcerating them for long periods of time, like SE Asian countries often do. Could a factor in that be the US influence, weaning Korea into the modern industrial age, trying to show it off to the world as a success of capitalism? Not allowing it to ever be lumped in with a place like Indonesia when it comes to drug crimes? Influencing policy... |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:30 pm Post subject: |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| My point was that the penalties vary. Do you have any cases where a foreigner was jailed for years (never mind LIFE) in Korea for having a very small amount of the substance? |
I know people personally who have been jailed for nine months to a year for having a dime bag on them in Korea. I don't know anyone in the States or Canada who has done time for minor, nonviolent possession. While federal law might be harsher, explain to me how you're going to get busted by a federal officer for minor possession. Don't be ridiculous: Korea's stance on marijuana is much harsher than that of the US. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 9:55 pm Post subject: |
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| northway wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| My point was that the penalties vary. Do you have any cases where a foreigner was jailed for years (never mind LIFE) in Korea for having a very small amount of the substance? |
I know people personally who have been jailed for nine months to a year for having a dime bag on them in Korea. I don't know anyone in the States or Canada who has done time for minor, nonviolent possession. While federal law might be harsher, explain to me how you're going to get busted by a federal officer for minor possession. Don't be ridiculous: Korea's stance on marijuana is much harsher than that of the US. |
Stating that "I personally know people" is a weak stance. 1) Because it's completely unverifiable and 2) even if it could be verified we've no idea of the extenuating circumstances surrounding it. Because you don't know anyone in the States and Canada who's done time for minor nonviolent possession...what does that prove exactly? That there aren't any such cases? Totally irrelevant.
But regardless, 9-12 months is hardly comparable to the VERIFIABLE evidence I posted above of people facing LIFE SENTENCES in the U.S. One guy even did get life. True it was his 4th drug offense but still seems a bit harsh.
Life sentences are much harsher than 9-12 months.
Not to mention that in Korea it seems that quite a few people get suspended sentences.
Not to mention your remark about the U.S is just plain silly. THE STATES HAVE DIFFERENT PENALTIES. Some states you get a 'slap on the wrist' while other states can give you life for a first offense. (I provided the link 2 posts ago)
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| For example, in Montana you can get a life sentence for a first offense for growing one marijuana plant. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 10:02 pm Post subject: |
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Bringing up a guy who was pretty clearly a distributor doesn't prove anything regarding the punishment for basic possession.
Yes, laws vary state by state, and perhaps compared to the harshest states, Korea isn't that harsh. Compared to the states and provinces I'm most familiar with (Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, and Quebec), they're ludicrously so. In Montreal you can smoke weed in front of a cop without any concern. In Massachusetts or New York it's not a criminal act to smoke in public. Doing so here, on the other hand, could quite easily lead to jail time. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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| northway wrote: |
Bringing up a guy who was pretty clearly a distributor doesn't prove anything regarding the punishment for basic possession.
Yes, laws vary state by state, and perhaps compared to the harshest states, Korea isn't that harsh. . |
Well when 15 states have laws that allow for a life sentence for a non-violent marijuana offense...just saying people going on about Korea's draconian drug laws should perhaps look at some places that are truly draconian before throwing that word around. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 11:27 pm Post subject: |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| northway wrote: |
Bringing up a guy who was pretty clearly a distributor doesn't prove anything regarding the punishment for basic possession.
Yes, laws vary state by state, and perhaps compared to the harshest states, Korea isn't that harsh. . |
Well when 15 states have laws that allow for a life sentence for a non-violent marijuana offense...just saying people going on about Korea's draconian drug laws should perhaps look at some places that are truly draconian before throwing that word around. |
Perhaps they're all draconian. |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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| Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 5:55 am Post subject: |
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| jfromtheway wrote: |
| "Penalties vary" is a very loose way to argue. Especially when comparing a small narco-police state to a huge and diverse US. I doubt many Korean cops would simply break your pipe and give you a warning. I wonder what the penalties were here 15 years ago. I also wonder why they often just deport people instead of collecting bribe money and incarcerating them for long periods of time, like SE Asian countries often do. Could a factor in that be the US influence, weaning Korea into the modern industrial age, trying to show it off to the world as a success of capitalism? Not allowing it to ever be lumped in with a place like Indonesia when it comes to drug crimes? Influencing policy... |
It may just be that it is less costly to deport a foreign drug offender than it is to jail him or her or even detain him or her until a fine is paid?
Simple issue of cost perhaps? |
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