I got a question. I don't know if this is the best place to post or not but I wanted lucid answers so I decided not to post in the marijuana forum. Say I were in a cohousing community and one of the members of the community smoked pot, maybe even kept alot on hand. If, just if, they were to get busted, would the rest of the house be subject to scrutiny too? Or would the law only be able to prosecute that person even though there are common rooms in the house? I have nothing against drugs or doing them but I'm not going to risk losing custody of my child because someone in the bedroom next to me wants to smoke pot. Also, police aren't likely to just check out a community without reason or is that wishful hoping? Thanks.
yah - and herein you have the reason almost all communities have a clause calling for no drugs - whether it is enforced or not is another matter entirely. If the community has in their bylaws that drugs -use of or possesion of on community property is reason for dismissal of said person or persons from community - they have covered their ass and the community is not liable - however those living in the same quarters where any drugs are found MAY be charged especially if no one claims the drugs personally. So in answer - yes you may be held liable for someone else having drugs in the same house - however when in court - the prosecution must PROVE that you either had them, had knowledge of them or are a user of them to make any charges stick. Course meanwhile the state could have stepped in and whisked any minors away from such bad living situations - and there are enough horror stories out there to make one give a good semblance at least of keeping the nose clean (being a good law abiding citizen -yuck !) Good luck girl - sometimes it's hard to find any living situation where the Man cannot 'get' you if he so desires - including planting evidence..... sometimes you just have to be true to yourself and hope for the best about whatever lessons may come your way. Blessings along the Way Lessons Learned Namaste (my spirit bows to your spirit)
Another spectre that has been raised since the "good old days" of the 1960's and 1970's is the possible result of the various asset forfeiture laws on the books. The government CAN sieze the premises upon which the drugs were found. It doesn't happen in all cases, but often enough. In the case of a community or cohousing, EVERYONE can then lose their home. Another aspect of this is that the property can be siezed even if no one is actually even CHARGED with a crime, much less convicted. If your community is for some reason not very popular with the "powers that be" in your area, the civil forfeiture laws can be used to get rid of you and your compatriots. The old "freewheeling" days of the 60's are long gone! Bob
