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R.A.V.E. ... more Republican BS
While the bill currently before the legislators of Congress literally spells out R.A.V.E. (Reducing Americas Vulnerability to Ecstacy), many charge that the act could affect the activities of nightclubs as well as large scale underground parties.
The R.A.V.E. Act, Senate Bill 2633, would make it illegal for anyone to knowingly permit or promote the usage of drugs or illegal controlled substances, or profit from such activity on their property. But what constitutes “knowing”? The bill’s stated purpose is to “prohibit any individual from knowingly opening, maintaining, controlling, renting, leasing, making available for use, or profiting from any place for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing, or using any controlled substance, and for other purposes.”
So while it’s supposed to be targeted at raves, it’s wording implies nightclubs as well, and any one associated with a party, whether aware of drug use or not., can be held responsible. The bill says that you don’t even have to directly profit from the sale of drugs in your establishment, or venue you work for, to be held accountable. If you are a nightclub owner or promoter, and the government suspects that you’re aware that people are selling or using drugs at your venue, they could hold you in violation.
According to the bill, “person(s) found in violation of the act will be subject to a civil penalty of not more than the greater of either $250,000, or two times the gross receipts, either known or estimated, that were derived from each violation that is attributable to the person.
The bill labels drugs like ecstacy, special K, Rohypnol and GHB as “club drugs” and associates the sale of “over priced” water bottles, pacifiers, glow sticks, nasal sprays and massage oils with drug use. And it also lists having a “chillout room” as being indicative of drug use at your party or venue. So, if you are, for example, charging four dollars for Poland Spring, selling glow sticks or providing an area in your club to sit and talk, you might fall under suspicion.
According to Susan Mainzer, CEO of Green Galactic, a production media company, the bill could conceivably be used against club owners just trying to run a business and hold them responsible for the actions of their patrons. “If their customers are caught with any drugs, the owner or promoter could be fined up to half a million dollars” she said. “The wording of the bill is so vague that basically anybody can be arrested for anything.”
The above was taken from Club Systems magazine.
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