Wasting time with victimless court cases? That’s what I don’t want. And we’re talking about c*nn*bis here? A censorship, really? Everlasting teetering on the edge of the law. Nonsense. A rational regulation, effective and fair legislation for c*nn*bis is the solution. So let’s talk about cannabis.
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One prisoner costs the state an average of half a million a year. Wouldn’t we be able use that kind of money more efficiently?
THEAY HAVE NAMES
“I certainly didn’t have the feeling that I was doing anything wrong,“ Robert (47) says of his activities, despite the fact that he ran around the courts for a total of three years and ended up with a final conviction. What did the entrepreneur, activist and municipal politician commit according to the Czech justice system? Spreading toxic addiction. How? By publishing a magazine.
Magazín Legalizace (magazine Legalization) was until recently a concept not only in the cannabis scene, but also in the media scene. Its goal was simple. To objectively inform the public about cannabis, its effects or its possible uses. The 69th issue was published in April 2022 and it can be said that the lawsuit destroyed the magazine, which had been published since 2010. Does Robert think he did something wrong? “In hindsight, I would be proud to say that the fact that I was prosecuted and convicted is proof that I did the right thing.”
FACTS
In the Czech Republic we have 10 detention prisons and 25 prisons for the execution of sentences. According to the data from the Prison Service Yearbook for 2023, the capacity of these detention facilities was 97.06 %, and for other prisons even 97.76 %, with many facilities being overloaded according to the published data. Mírov is the worst prison with a capacity utilisation of 113.42 %. The operation of prison facilities costs CZK 36 million per day, which is more than CZK 13 billion per year. One prisoner costs the state an average of half a million a year.
Thus, police capacity is lacking in prevention, detection and investigation of other crimes.
Former drug coordinator Jindřich Vobořil says: “We have some of the most liberal laws in Europe, along with Portugal. But we are among the countries with the highest penalties.” And he adds that while 14 % of the Czech prison population is in prison for drug offences, drug crime in the Czech Republic is only 3 % of the total crime rate. Yet, as we know, almost 50 % of drug offences are punished in connection with cannabis. It is clear from the above how much financial savings would be made by simply changing the approach. Not to mention the other benefits, because people like Robert are harmed by a number of other factors. Rational regulation is the solution!
Resources:
MAGAZÍN LEGALIZACE. Osvěta není zložin!. Online. [2020]. Dostupné z: https://osvetanenizlocin.cz/. [cit. 2024-09-01].
HURT, Lukáš. Robert Veverka: Osvěta nesmí být zločin!. Online. Magazín Konopí. 2024. Dostupné z: https://magazin-konopi.cz/robert-veverka-osveta-nesmi-byt-zlocin/. [cit. 2024-09-01].
BĚLÁČKOVÁ, Vendula. Regulace trhu s konopím. Online. Praha: Jana Michailidu, 2022. ISBN 978-80-11-02218-1. Dostupné z: https://regulacekonopi.cz/documents/204/Regulace_trhu_s_konop%C3%ADm_-_dopadov%C3%A1_studie_ebook.pdf. [cit. 2024-08-28].
HOCHOVÁ, Lucie. Statistická ročenka 2023. Online. Odbor správní Generálního ředitelství Vězeňské služby České republiky, 2024. Dostupné z: https://www.vscr.cz/media/organizacni-jednotky/generalni-reditelstvi/odbor-spravni/statistiky/rocenky/statisticka-rocenka-vezenske-sluzby-ceske-republiky-za-rok-2023.pdf. [cit. 2024-08-28].
EPA. Provoz věznic stojí denně asi 36 milionů korun. 7 500 lidí pyká za krádeže. Online. Česká justice. 2023. Dostupné z: https://www.ceska-justice.cz/2023/07/provoz-veznic-stoji-denne-asi-36-milionu-korun-7-500-lidi-pyka-za-kradeze. [cit. 2024-09-01].ČTK. Vobořil zkritizoval vysoké množství vězňů pykajících za konopí a další drogy. Online. Česká justice. 2024. Dostupné z: https://www.ceska-justice.cz/2024/08/voboril-zkritizoval-vysoke-mnozstvi-veznu-pykajicich-za-konopi-a-dalsi-drogy/. [cit. 2024-09-01].
