This is a facetious example.
The difference is achingly obvious: marijuana is unquestionably illegal to sell - EVEN in states such as mine where there is a medical marijuana law. There is no such thing as a legal marijuana "dispensary" under federal law and any argument to the contrary is silly. Free speech is not illegal in Russia - or so the Kremlin claims.
The DEA or the Justive Department may threaten marijuana dispensaries, but that is entirely appropriate. They are legally mandated to try and create a chilling effect on marijuana selling. But what they do not do is go around to tea shops and flower shops threateningly "inspecting" their wares and making claims that the tea and flowers are marijuana plants.
They do not use laws against illegal marijuana to create a chilling effect on the legal lobelia or lapsang souchong markets
Russia may have laws against hate speech, but they are being enforced as de facto laws against FREE speech.
The comparison is ridiculous.
> --
> Michael Perelman
> Economics Department
> California State University
> Chico, CA 95929
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> E-Mail michael at ecst.csuchico.edu
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