Do you recognize that these prohibition laws were unjust? If they were, then what does someone's defiance of those laws have to do with anything? Shouldn't they in fact be praised for standing up to oppression?
A great many of the illegal pot farmers damage public (and private) lands, screw with the water supply, pollute rivers, and leave trash behind. Not to mention growing country has a higher rate of violent crime than even LA County. That's where the asshole part comes in.
Since this is about the US, the country literally was founded by people disregarding the laws because they were unjust. The law is the law but that's it. Break in a law isnt inherently immoral
No, but just saying so doesn't make breaking this law somehow ok. You disagreeing with something doesn't make it immoral.
Look, these people have been growing for a long time, illegally. I don't have a problem with the growing itself, but they've been making a mess of Mendocino County for years, and they're not exactly all nice people (violent crime rate up there is pretty high). Now we have a legal framework for growing, for actually doing it in a legal way. Sure, some of the new requirements will hurt. But overall we'll end up with a safer growing situation, and things will be done in a way that doesn't damage the land.
>Now we have a legal framework for growing, for actually doing it in a legal way.
No, they don't. Following that framework is admitting you are breaking a federal law. It bars you from being successful in businesses, make a lot of money and the feds have more reason to target you.
True, and I agree that people doing these illegal grows in public land and threatening people are acting immorally. Like the other commenter said though, the framework is not there for legal marijuana production, it just removes one of the layers of illegality
A mature society is one whose people can distinguish between behavior which is actually anti-social from behavior which is merely proscribed by the state.
The act of breaking bad laws - and supporting those who break bad laws - is central to a functioning and mature society.
With the volume, breadth, and obscurity of the federal register, I don't think it's practical to "choose" not to break laws in the USA today.
> Sounds like you think your opinion of what laws are just outweighs the democratic process that established those laws.
I certainly don't think that the "democratic process" is some sort of fairy dust that you can sprinkle on laws which are contrary to nature and to the constitution and suddenly make them legitimate. If this is "my opinion," then yes, your statement is entirely accurate.
There are democratic traditions that are more akin to what you are describing, but in common law republics, the legitimacy of the law is constrained by the limited and enumerated power of the state and is not boundless unto whatever the "democratic process" may dictate.
> Other operators chose not to break those laws.
This is entirely a semantic turn - by saying "those laws" in reference to the State (capital S) laws in question in this article, you have intentionally ignored the fact that the US Government has its own (obviously illegitimate in light of the history of the 18th and 21st amendments) laws which also proscribe this conduct.
So there is no way to "choose not to break" the laws regarding cultivating of cannabis.
> That's life in society.
If you are holding high the state of drug policy in the USA in 2017 as evidence of "life in society," I want to encourage you to raise your standards somewhat.
Rosa Parks is a civil rights hero because she put herself at risk of punishment. That personal risk was part of many motivating factors that fueled the new legislation that broke Jim Crow.
So, yes, I do think Rosa Parks should have been arrested (as she was). In fact, it would've been worse if she was left alone -- her defiance would've been a non-event.
Lastly, I think it's rude to equate Rosa Parks to these rogue pot browsers. That said, I think we should bust these law breakers -- and if that upsets enough people, then we'll enact legal changes.
I can tell by the way you draw such stark, mean-spirited conclusions that you must be a successful person who thinks clearly and works well in society. Congratulations on figuring everything out and winning the big game. Don't forget to share your glory and leave some crumbs for the little guys.
Or do you think these laws were just after all?