For now, I want to do something that has been at the back of my mind since it became clear that prison was indeed the only option given to me by the legal system, which had increasingly seemed likely for months and was confirmed as a certainty today.
I am now required to serve 4 months in LA county jail instead of the plea-bargain for tree farm which was originally given (and eerily evocative of the final scenes from the film 'A Scanner Darkly'-highly recommended)
Now, it is my idea that between now and incarceration that I will post more diaries, including a multi-part series on Cannabis History, which is full of peculiar and unknown quirks. In my time at dkos, off and on since '06, I have gone from lurking to sporadic participation, sometimes to vent anger at the drug 'war', sometimes in very blunt ways..and this is before the legal system targeted me specifically with punishment. Now, it seems imperative to establish a meaningful conversation online, if for no other reason than to help inform someone else, though I look forward to hopefully learning from others' experiences as well.
But for now, it is my intent to diary this bit of painful personal truth for both myself and anyone else who happens to visit dkos, sees this diary, and has a story to share about their own run-ins with the law per cannabis. (while I do understand that the War on Drugs claims more than just cannabis victims, my own personal ideology leans towards legalization/decrim. for cannabis only, not hard drugs)
it's 3 30am here on the West Coast, but I'd like to ask:
who here has a story to share about their own prison time/legal sentencing, or that of a family member?
and, even better, any legal advice? (..only half-joking..)
in any case, more substantive and impersonal diaries on this topic are upcoming, but I feel like posting this will put future ones in perspective.
For those of you who may just so happen to be familiar with my outspoken protests against the cannabis war in the past, right here on dkos, this diary also perhaps adds some perspective to the seriousness of my beliefs, as well as their consequences.
moral of the story: in these situations, we are not alone, and must unite in whatever ways possible to survive the times, these wars, etc...