Frank and Ready

(Boston, Massachusetts) In August 2007, James Ready of Ogunquit, Maine, was arrested for possession and cultivation of marijuana and use of drug paraphernalia. Mr. Ready is widely recognized as the same-sex partner of Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank who yesterday admitted he was present when Ready was arrested.

Frank said he was sitting on the porch when the police came but was unaware that his best-friend-forever had marijuana plants. Congressman Frank contends that he wouldn't recognize a marijuana plant because he's "not a great outdoorsman."

In addition, Rep. Frank said he didn't live with Mr. Ready and he only smoked cigars. Even so, it's not unreasonable to suggest that Rep. Frank's close physical and emotional proximity to Mr. Ready would have made it virtually impossible not to know of the cultivation and use of marijuana.

Furthermore, circumstances alone could lend justification to suspect that Rep. Frank might have occasionally been tempted to puff on a joint himself. Therefore, I suggest there's reason to be skeptical about Rep. Frank's professed complete lack of awareness.

To be fair, though, I recall allegations in the past about a call-boy prostitution service being run out of Barney Frank's house and he claimed not to know anything about that either. Maybe the Congressman really doesn't know what's going on around him. (See here.)

In any event, James Ready ultimately paid a fine for marijuana possession while the other charges were dropped. And, curiously, Rep. Frank authored legislation to decriminalize marijuana use for medicinal purposes.

Tip: Charley Nestor

Companion post at The Jawa Report.