Comment Re:Mind Readers? Thought Crime? (Score 1) 670
Possession of a scale and drugs of almost any quantity here will get you "with intent to distribute" tacked on. An ex dealer I know said all the dealers in town have small personal safes they keep their scales in. That totally confused me until they filled me in on that minor little legal detail. (not that a safe often stops the cops, but apparently it can help)
I have a battery operated scale that goes down to 100th of a gram measurements. I do indeed use it for measuring quantities of illegal substances (generally MDMA and amphetamine; as my most preferred substance - LSD - can't accurately be measured with that kind of scale). I have never however intended to distribute the drugs at all (in the eyes of the law, probably, since 'take one and give one to my friend' technically counts as distribution; but it's not in the spirit of the law from my point of view).
The entire point of having the scales is to know how much of a substance I'm taking. Especially with the likes of MDMA, I know the exact amount required for me to have specific effects. Too much and I feel "overwhelmed"; too little and I feel myself frustrated that I'm "not quite there". Through experimentation, I know the amounts that are suitable for me in different kinds of environments. The scales help me measure out those quantities and ensure I always have a good - and safe - time.
(note that I also ensure quality/purity of substance; measuring accurate quantities of an unknown white powder would be kind of pointless)