The last few months, we’ve covered a lot of stories about cannabis charges. Across the country and the world, cannabis is being presented as an extreme case. All of that despite most of the world being in favor of the plant, at least on a medical basis. Throughout those stories, I want to revisit two that have stood out and demand change for cannabis.
A few months ago, Oklahoma cannabis businesses experienced a spike in breaks-in. One of those break-ins was at veteran LaRue Bratcher’s business which started a chain event of charges. The story is much more grey than that, leading to LaRue protecting his business, the suspected robber being fatally shot, and exacerbated charges as the crime relates to cannabis. At the moment, LaRue is out on bail with the help of the community. The issue of the case and his damaged business remains, however.
In a more extreme case in Singapore, a man is sentenced to death for the possession of two pounds of cannabis. Omar Yacob Bamadhaj is sentenced to death for the crimes in 2018; but, at the moment nothing in his case has changed. Similiar, another group is charged with the same crime and same sentence in Singapore. Just as they did when the arrest occurred, these cases show some municipals’ unexplainable response to cannabis.
Back in 2020, the United Nations voted in favor of removing cannabis for the 1961 Single Convention of Narcotic Drugs. Despite that, many -even some that voted in favor- approach the plant with a “Reefer Madness” attitude. In Bratcher’s case, we can be thankful his bail was achievable. He is safe at home awaiting trial. For many others, the situation doesn’t look so hopeful. It seems as though our individual community’s approach to cannabis means all the difference when it comes down to charges. In the grand scheme, we can only hope to sway local municipals until federal bodies make a long-awaited decision. In the meantime, we’ll keep you updated on this story and others like it.
