SB 30-16: ESCOBAR Act (Sponsor Advocacy)

[Left Wing]

A BILL
to enrich the minds and bodies of Atlasians

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of Atlasia in Congress assembled,

Section I. Title

1. This bill may be known as the Enabling Stimulants, Cocaine, and Other Bad Ass Remedies Act. It may be cited as the ESCOBAR Act.

Section II. Content

1. The stimulating substance derived from the leaves of the coca plant, commonly known as cocaine, coke, blow, and by a number of other names, is legalized at the federal level across Atlasia.
2. All persons currently imprisoned for cocaine-related crimes are to be released immediately.
3. Regional and local governments have the power to regulate cocaine sales in their jurisdiction.

Passed 5-4-0-0 in the Atlasian House assembled

Sponsor: FalterinArc
Status: Sponsor Advocacy

[Left Wing]

I can sponsor, 24 hours to object.

[SevenEleven]

I can sponsor, 24 hours to object.

No objection.

[Left Wing]

I am recognized as sponsor.

[Senator-elect Spark]

I can see the benefit of legalizing marijuana, but what is the benefit of legalizing cocaine? Could the sponsor elaborate on that?

[Left Wing]

I can see the benefit of legalizing marijuana, but what is the benefit of legalizing cocaine? Could the sponsor elaborate on that?

Well there are a number of arguments that can be made for this, but most are up to your own political philosophy. I think the clearest argument is that the war on drugs and more specifically, the over policing of cocaine related offenses has led to devastation of minority communities in many areas. This bill would seek to remedy that by ending these decades old policies relating to the drug and releasing those unjustly prisoners for what is most often a non violent offense.

[Senator-elect Spark]

I can see the benefit of legalizing marijuana, but what is the benefit of legalizing cocaine? Could the sponsor elaborate on that?

Well there are a number of arguments that can be made for this, but most are up to your own political philosophy. I think the clearest argument is that the war on drugs and more specifically, the over policing of cocaine related offenses has led to devastation of minority communities in many areas. This bill would seek to remedy that by ending these decades old policies relating to the drug and releasing those unjustly prisoners for what is most often a non violent offense.

I'm all for reducing mass incarceration, but I believe that legalizing cocaine will enable it to become more accessible and cause health crises to become more commonplace. Cocaine will be more likely to be abused if it is readily available. The better way, in my view, is to reduce sentencing guidelines for drug offenses.

[Blair]

I’m unsure about giving a mass amnesty on all cocaine talented crimes when some of this will be high level trafficking by organised crime. 

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

This bill passes 5-4.

Aye (5): MB, Lfromnj, Razze, Deadprez, Harvey
Nay (4): Ninja, Ishan, Cao, Talleyrand

This reminds me of so many votes pre-reset.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I can see the benefit of legalizing marijuana, but what is the benefit of legalizing cocaine? Could the sponsor elaborate on that?

Well there are a number of arguments that can be made for this, but most are up to your own political philosophy. I think the clearest argument is that the war on drugs and more specifically, the over policing of cocaine related offenses has led to devastation of minority communities in many areas. This bill would seek to remedy that by ending these decades old policies relating to the drug and releasing those unjustly prisoners for what is most often a non violent offense.

I'm all for reducing mass incarceration, but I believe that legalizing cocaine will enable it to become more accessible and cause health crises to become more commonplace. Cocaine will be more likely to be abused if it is readily available. The better way, in my view, is to reduce sentencing guidelines for drug offenses.

I agree with Spark here, the ending of mass incarceration can be taken as mass legalization, but that is only one path to doing that. There are other paths, including as he said the sentencing guidelines, review of previously issued sentences with an eye towards reducing and differentiating from low and high level drug offenses.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I’m unsure about giving a mass amnesty on all cocaine talented crimes when some of this will be high level trafficking by organised crime. 

This is a good point, any such amnesty would need to be tailored to fit the intended group and thus avoid the problem that you mention with organized crime.

[Blair]

I generally think of myself as more libertarian on drugs than the average politician (and especially the typical Labour MP) so it was a surprise to find a bill that reached my line.  I’m struggling to do it on my iPad but we could amend to strike out section 2

[Continential]

Someone should introduce an amendment to amend Section 2 to clarify what prisoners get released instead of releasing all prisoners, regardless of their crime.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Lol, seems like people just have forgotten about this?

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Two years old, Sponsor has long since left the Senate. This isn't before us anymore. Would need to be reintroduced as an entirely new bill.