[INTPenis]

Minor drug offenders are more often fined than jailed.

A friend got caught in his apartment with a grow op, drying cannabis, illegal mushrooms, other drugs and he ended up serving no time at all.

His time will be financial, he will have to pay off his debt to society literally instead of being incarcerated.

[tluyben2]

I think that's the same in a lot of EU countries. Too many people think those kind of drugs should be legalized anyway, so if the grow operation is not too large (10 instead of 1000 plants for instance), they won't do too much. Which I think is a good thing.

[marvin]

What sort of debt is that? It's well and good if it is something which has been approved by the lawmakers, courts and population, but I am skeptical of making offenders pay very large fines. In effect, it turns into a (potentially lifelong) punishment.

See e.g. the piratebay founders, none of which will ever be able to own property or any assets at all, seeing as even the interest payments on the damages they owe are more than the average salary. Sentencing someone to lifelong economic slavery is not a good thing in my book. It is a very, very harsh punishment. In effect, the piratebay founders have been sentenced to exile.

[INTPenis]

I don't know, and I'm not saying it's a good thing. All I can say for sure is that I don't want to see people jailed for all drug offences.

[Sharlin]

AFAIK that's what happens in the US too -- if you happen to be white.

[Dirlewanger]

Cut the bullshit, guy. An offense like the guy described would land anyone doing time anywhere in the US, first offense or not.

[eliasmacpherson]

I have a friend, he happens to be white:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttUvsrcxKmI

[sschueller]

and/or wealthy