Ravin v. State
Encyclopedia
Ravin v. State is a 1975 decision by the Alaska Supreme Court
that legalized possession
of small amounts of cannabis
(four ounces) in the state. It was brought about by Irwin Ravin, an attorney who deliberately got arrested in Anchorage
for refusing to sign a traffic ticket while in possession of marijuana in order to challenge the existing law. Ravin felt that the case was more about privacy, saying
The court ruled:
Alaskan voters approved a ballot initiative recriminalizing marijuana possession in 1990, but in Noy v. State, the Alaska Court of Appeals held that ballot iniatives are subject to the same constitutional limitations as legislative enactments, and thus the portion of the amended statutes criminalizing possession of less than four ounces of marijuana in the home was unconstitutional. In June 2006, the Alaska Legislature amended the law to prohibit the possession of less than one ounce of marijuana and to make possession of more than one ounce of marijuana a class A misdemeanor. As of November 2009, Alaskan courts have not considered the constitutionality of this statute. Mr Ravin Died in April 2010.
Alaska Supreme Court
The Alaska Supreme Court is the state supreme court in the State of Alaska's judicial department . The supreme court is composed of the chief justice and four associate justices, who are all appointed by the governor of Alaska and face judicial retention elections and who choose one of their own...
that legalized possession
Drug possession
Drug possession is the crime of having one or more illegal drugs in one's possession, either for personal use, distribution, sale or otherwise. Illegal drugs fall into different categories and sentences vary depending on the amount, type of drug, circumstances, and jurisdiction.A person has...
of small amounts of cannabis
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
(four ounces) in the state. It was brought about by Irwin Ravin, an attorney who deliberately got arrested in Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
for refusing to sign a traffic ticket while in possession of marijuana in order to challenge the existing law. Ravin felt that the case was more about privacy, saying
"Marijuana has never been an issue for me. The fight was always for privacy, our territory and now state has traditionally been the home of people who prize their individuality and who have chosen to achieve a measure of control over their own lifestyles which is now virtually unattainable in many of our sister states."
The court ruled:
Alaskan voters approved a ballot initiative recriminalizing marijuana possession in 1990, but in Noy v. State, the Alaska Court of Appeals held that ballot iniatives are subject to the same constitutional limitations as legislative enactments, and thus the portion of the amended statutes criminalizing possession of less than four ounces of marijuana in the home was unconstitutional. In June 2006, the Alaska Legislature amended the law to prohibit the possession of less than one ounce of marijuana and to make possession of more than one ounce of marijuana a class A misdemeanor. As of November 2009, Alaskan courts have not considered the constitutionality of this statute. Mr Ravin Died in April 2010.