American Samoa- Strictest Drug laws in the USA

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jspun

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From Radio New Zeland transcript

Posted at 23:20 on 08 March, 2009 UTC

The American Samoa Public Defender, Ruth Risch, has urged the territory to pay attention to the growing drug problem.

Ms Risch says methamphetamine is a human tragedy that is taking a foothold in American Samoa and is growing by the day.

She told senators, that users of the drug become addicted and will do anything to get it.

Ms Risch says the drug affect not just users but family members as well.

She also says a detox centre for the rehabilitation of drug users is vital.

Ms Risch has also recommended consideration be given to establishing a campus for juveniles, where they can continue their education and also receive counseling and rehabilitation services.
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Rest of story on link :http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=45199
 
American Samoa, an idealic paradisical outpost of America. An Unicorporated, unorginized territory administered by the US dept of the interior and heavily subsidized. I've had a friend that visited his dad every summer in Tutuila, outside Pago, pago, the capital city. He said that buds were easy to get, widely tolerated, and sometimes growing wildley. However, in response to the growing Ice problem, which is produced in mexico and comes via Hawaii, the then governor of American Samoa signed into law the most draconian measure designed to stem drug use and the growing crime that was blamed on it. It madated a mandatory minimum 5 year sentence on anyone caught with simple possession of any drug. In otherwise, possession of a joint could land you in jail for 5 years. To compound matters, the Territory lacks a drug treatment center and even the LBJ med center, the major medical center in the territory lacked a psychiatrist.

However, I have had a few Samoan friends in the past, and there is a culture consisting of chiefs (matai) and many social obligations. They are some of the tightest family bonds among cultures I know and like to solve family problems within the family. I can see the cops letting the family members kick "some sense" into the perpetrator in lieu of a jail term- and these guys tend to big relatives that hit hard. What I do know about the place is that their prison is overflowing- so a policy change is probably in order.

Take home message- draconian penalties do little to deter drug use among users, addicts in particular (especially i there tweakers)
 
From Samoa news.com 2009

A former prosecutor suggests that the government should focus attention on a more dangerous drug problem in the territory dealing with crystal methamphetamine, which the local Department of Homeland Security (ASDHS) agrees is a serious issue faced by American Samoa.

There have been several cases coming through the court dealing with methamphetamine, or ice, and former Assistant Attorney General Lisa Teesch-Maguire became the main prosecutor for these cases, until she resigned two weeks ago, due to threats against her life.

When asked about drug cases and problems in the territory during her tenure, Teesch-Maguire said via e-mail from the mainland that American Samoa’s law when it comes to marijuana is “ridiculous” but “I think that there is always room for improvement.”

Local drug laws enacted in 1999, via a bill that originated from the Senate and spearheaded at the time by Sen. Galeai Tu’ufuli— a former police commissioner— handed down what is considered the strictest drug law in the nation.

At the time, Galeai, who held the Moaali’itele title during his first tenure as senator in 1999, pushed the measure in an effort to combat drug trafficking and to prevent the influx of all types of illegal drugs in the territory.

Current statute states that a person found in possession of a controlled substance is guilty of a class D felony for the first offense, which is punishable by 5 years in jail and a $5,000 fine or both. The penalties increase if the offense is re-committed by the same person, and the penalties are mandatory.

This law also applies to marijuana, even the smallest amount. However, there have been a handful of cases involving travelers from the U.S. caught with small amounts of marijuana, who have been imposed only the fine, and then required to leave the territory on the next flight out.

The latest case was last week Thursday when Glenn Gurr, who arrived here from Utah to visit his family, was fined $5,000 for possession of marijuana and was told to leave the territory by this past weekend, under a plea agreement with the government.

Teesch-Maguire told Samoa News that she believes a simple marijuana possession should be a misdemeanor or infraction, and the Territory should not waste resources prosecuting minor marijuana possession.

She says the Territorial Correction Facility is over-crowded and TCF should make room for violent offenders.

“Clearly, there is a much more dangerous methamphetamine problem in the Territory and the Territory needs to eradicate it before it gets out of control,” she said. “Methamphetamine is a horrible drug, and generally results in dangerous violent crime, burglaries, and theft.”
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http://www.samoanewsonline.com/viewstory.php?storyid=10825 for whole article
 
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Apparently not in the American Samoa, in 11 years of this policy the problem has not been eradicated, and from the sound of the last article, is getting worse. They might do well to adopt treatment and harm reduction.
 
Didn't it seem better to drink alcohol and get a buzz with your friends was a lot more "fun" then it is now that your are 21 + ... sometimes I can see how the extra thrill of "oh this isn't legal, I'm doing something risky" or whatever makes the initial "high" better somehow? i dunnoo
 
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