Odds and Ends

“bullet” Jesse Jackson will be in Lima, Ohio tomorrow to discuss the racial tensions regarding the drug raid shooting of Tarika Wilson and her son. Hopefully the visit won’t neglect the necessary discussion regarding the tactics of drug raids, which also exist outside of the racial dimension.
“bullet” The drug war has gotten so screwy that we sometimes become inured to the absurdities, but now and then an article just hits me and I think I’ve slipped through to another dimension.
This came from one of my former haunts – Keokuk, Iowa. See if you can spot the absurdities.

Chris-topher A. Matous, 23, 3000 S. Seventh St., was charged with conspiracy to manufacture less than five grams of methamphetamine, a Class C felony. If convicted, Matous could face up to 10 years in a state correctional facility.
The arrest stems from an investigation by the task force into allegations Matous was involved in the manufacture of methamphetamine in the Keokuk area.
He was arrested Thursday following a traffic stop for a driving offense by Keokuk police. Investigators later searched the vehicle and found items that indicated the manufacture of and/or use of methamphetamine.
Task force Commander Dave Hinton said Matous had a knife in his possession.

Here are some oddities that I see…

1. “conspiracy to manufacture less than five grams of methamphetamine” — what does that mean?
2. “items that indicated the manufacture of and/or use of methamphetamine” — what does that mean?
3. “face up to 10 years” – no drugs, no sale, no manufacture, plans to manufacture less than 5 grams (whatever that means) = 10 years?
4. “The arrest stems from an investigation” that culminated in a “traffic stop for a driving offense.” Huh?
5. “Task force Commander Dave Hinton said Matous had a knife in his possession.” And…?

I’m scratching my head here.
“bullet” The idiots at the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) have gotten their panties in a bunch regarding the medical marijuana vending machines, which is simply absurd, since there’s no practical difference between a dispensary employee vending medical marijuana to a licensed patient and a machine doing the exact same thing.
“bullet” Dave Frank with the Nevada Appeal discusses the medical marijuana situation in Nevada Federal government stands in the way of a state-run medical marijuana distribution