With the recent kerfuffle in New Jersey regarding their long-overdue cannabis legalization, particularly regarding parental notification for underage possession offenders under 21, we at Twenty-One Debunked thus see a need to clarify our position on parental notification for underage possession consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis. We believe the age limit for all three should be 18 and not a day later (i.e. the Alberta Model), and regardless of the age limit we believe the following as well:
- For anyone over 18, parental notification should be prohibited, period, as 18 is the legal age of majority. Why this is even the least bit controversial is truly mind-boggling.
- For anyone under 18, parental notification should NOT be mandatory, but rather should be discretionary, at least for first offenses of simple possession. Even for subsequent offenses, there should still be nuance and proportionality.
- For younger teens/tweens under 15 or 16, parental notification may very well be the preferable go-to option in many cases, but for older teens it should be regarded as more of a "nuclear" option for serious or repeat offenders.
- Underage possession/consumption per se should be decriminalized. That is, it should bypass the criminal justice system entirely, and should carry no arrest, no jail time, and no criminal record. Rather, the penalties (if any) should include only a verbal or written warning, a modest civil fine (i.e. a parking or traffic-style ticket), a brief educational course, and/or confiscation of the contraband items.
- Any more serious penalties should be reserved solely for more serious and/or flagrant offenses that go beyond simple possession or sharing among peers, such as when impaired driving, violence, vandalism, theft, trespassing, obstructing traffic, disturbing the peace, and/or disorderly conduct is involved. For ALL ages. (Note that most of these are arrestable offenses.)
- No one should lose their driver's license for any non-driving related infractions.
- Rather than disproportionately targeting young people themselves, there should be a much greater focus on adults over 18 who sell or furnish such substances to people under 18, especially when there is a large age difference between the furnisher and furnishee.
None of these should be controversial at all. If you honestly think these are extremist positions, you seriously need to have your head examined!
I'm done with the U.S.
ReplyDeleteIt's indeed stranger than fiction, how our country has decayed. I think there is still a chance to pull our country back from the abyss, but that window is closing very fast. It's like we go one step forward, and two steps back.
DeleteThe factors that are contributing to this advancement of ageism against young people is medical fascism, the Evangelical movement, infantilization and the organizations that support these factors. For example, years ago, there was a state legislator from Pennsylvania who said that he considered adulthood to begin when a person graduated from college. He was a Democrat who supported raising the smoking age to 21. It's this type of society which destroys freedom.
DeleteThe one thing that I never agreed with is detaining and arresting someone and having them needlessly involved in the criminal justice system simply because a 20-year-old cracked open a beer or now a spliff just a year or months shy of his/her 21st. I feel it’s a waste of police resources. If you want to confiscate the products or even ticket the person fine, but taking them to the local jail, might as well go back to Prohibition.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, police departments focusing on preventing "underage" drinking by young adults who are 18-20 years old is a waste of resources.
DeleteUsing the age of 21 as a minimum age is oppression and it should not be used for these types of purposes. The age of 18 should be used for minimum ages for these types of purposes. The minimum age at which a person can smoke Cannabis, drink alcoholic beverages, vape or smoke, gamble at casinos or get a hotel room should be 18 and not a day longer. Parental notification should not be used for people who are 18 or older because it infantilization at its highest order. Parental notification should be done on a case by case basis for girls and boys who are 17 or younger.
ReplyDeleteIt's simple for me. If you're declared an adult at 18, then an adult you are, and full rights and responsibility kick in. (Voting, marrying, medical decisions, gun ownership, full driving privileges, sex, contracts, jury duty, joining the military, full criminal responsibility, drinking, etc.) the full package.
DeleteAmen to that! And while some adult rights and responsibilities can perhaps kick in before that, the point is that none should be delayed even a day after that.
DeleteVery much agreed. The word adult should mean something, which should start at 18.
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