State v. Leppanen

Jan 22, 1969
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Sloan
SLOAN, J.

We are presented with an extensive, Brandéis brief urging us to hold that the ‍​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‍inclusion of marihuana in *353 the statute, OKS 474.010(18), as a narcotic drug violates the Fourteenth Amendment and Art I, § 11, of the Oregon Constitution. Present knowledge, it is claimed, compels the ‍​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‍conclusion that marihuana is not a habit forming drug and its specification as such, in the statute, is now so arbitrary as to violate due process. It is secondarily ‍​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‍argued that to classify the possession of marihuana as a felony is a “‘savagely indiscriminate treatment of violators.’ ”

The opinions, on the subject, that are expressed in the brief ‍​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‍do nothing more than express the best judgment of the persons who express the opinions. Other people, possessed of seemingly equal expertise, find a contrary result from the use of ‍​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‍marihuana. The legislature must make the ultimate judgment on the issues presented, not the court.

Affirmed.