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| quote: | Originally posted by Mikado
So if someone brings a dime to an event the owners charged with possesion ? |
Here's the act in its entirety.
http://people.bu.edu/chrisn1/s2633.html
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SEC. 3. OFFENSES.
(a) IN GENERAL- Section 416(a) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 856(a)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking `open or maintain any place' and inserting `open, lease, rent, use, or maintain any place, whether permanently or temporarily,'; and
(2) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
`(2) manage or control any place, whether permanently or temporarily, either as an owner, lessee, agent, employee, occupant, or mortgagee, and knowingly and intentionally rent, lease, profit from, or make available for use, with or without compensation, the place for the purpose of unlawfully manufacturing, storing, distributing, or using a controlled substance.'.
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Essentially the bill boils down to the fact that the bill is not designed to hurt the responsible EDM scene, however it is open to abuse which is why I don't like it. If you've ever been to a rave I'm sure you can see for yourself that many promoster are irresponsible and promote the drug use along with the music itself. Why else would they shut off the water supply, charge $5 for bottled water, have candy tables that charge rediculous prices, sell pacifiers, vicks, face masks for rediculous prices, etc.? I myself would want restrictions placed upon such irresponsible promoters. Anyway here's what biden himself had to say on the bill:
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At the Drug Caucus hearing, witnesses testified that rogue rave organizers commonly go to great lengths to portray their events as safe so that parents will allow their kids to attend. They advertise their parties as alcohol-free events and some even hire off-duty police officers to patrol outside the venue. But the truth is that some of these raves are drug dens where use of Ecstasy and other ``club drugs'', such as the date rape drugs Rohypnol, GHB and Ketamine, is widespread.
But even as these promoters work to make parents think that their events are safe, they send a different message to kids. Their promotional flyers make clear that drugs are an integral part of the party by prominently featuring terms associated with drug use, such as the letters ``E'' or ``X''--street terms for Ecstasy, or the term ``rollin''', which refers to an Ecstasy high. They are, in effect, promoting Ecstasy along with the rave.
By doing so, unscrupulous promoters get rich as they exploit and endanger kids. Some supplement their profits from the $10 to $50 cover charge to enter the club by selling popular Ecstasy paraphernalia such as baby pacifiers, glow sticks, or mentholated inhalers. And predatory party organizers know that Ecstasy raises the core body temperature and makes the user extremely thirsty, so they sell bottles of water for $5 or $10 apiece. Some even shut off the water faucets so club goers will be forced to buy water or pay admission to enter an air-conditioned ``cool down room.''
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Critics of my bill have asserted that if the legislation were to become law ``there would be no way that someone could hold a concert and not be liable'' and that the bill ``holds the owners and the promoters responsible for the actions of the patrons.'' That is simply untrue. We know that there will always be certain people who will bring drugs into musical or other events and use them without the knowledge or permission of the promoter or club owner. This is not the type of activity that my bill would address. The purpose of my legislation is not to prosecute legitimate law-abiding managers of stadiums, arenas, performing arts centers, licensed beverage facilities and other venues because of incidental drug use at their events. In fact, when crafting this legislation, I took steps to ensure that it did not capture such cases. My bill would help in the prosecution of rogue promoters who not only know that there is drug use at their event but also hold the event for the purpose of illegal drug use or distribution. That is quite a high bar.
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So I guess I'm of mixed opinion on the bill. I agree with the spirit of what it is trying to accomplish, however, I disagree with the latitude the bill provides. So as I stated before, I'm unconcerned so far because I haven't seen a crackdown on EDM events since the bill was passed, however, I remain wary at how it may be used in the future.
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