Posted on 02/17/2006 7:09:46 PM PST by Know your rights
Setting up a conflict with the Romney administration, lawmakers on Monday advanced a longstanding Beacon Hill proposal to decriminalize the possession of enough marijuana for teens to roll dozens of joints. Approved 6-1 by the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Committee, the proposal would change the penalty for possessing marijuana to a $250 civil fine for anyone caught with less than an ounce of the drug, regardless of age. In addition, parents of those 18 years and younger would be notified of the infraction. Currently, someone convicted of such an offense can be sent to jail for up to six months for the crime and pay a $500 fine for a first offense.
According to Lea Palleria Cox of Concerned Citizens for Drug Prevention Inc. and a bill opponent, an ounce of marijuana equals roughly 57 joints. The issue has been a source of contention for years in the Legislature, with the late Sen. Charles Shannon as its biggest advocate. Lawmakers in the past have included a similar provision in the budget, only to have it vetoed by former Acting Gov. Jane Swift. Gov. Mitt Romney is also a likely opponent to the proposal; Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey has expressed her opposition to proposal, saying it could treat marijuana lightly under the law, and Romney's spokesman said lawmakers should remain tough on drugs.
"Governor Romney believes we should enforce the laws against drugs, and that we be should be careful not to suggest that we are softening our view on marijuana use," Eric Fehrnstrom, Romney's director of communications, said in a statement. "It is important that we continue to send a message to young people that drugs are bad for you."
But advocates of decriminalization say the 11 other states that have taken a similar path, including California, New York, and Nebraska, have seen no negative affects, and point to the results of non-binding ballot questions in 2000, 2002, and 2004 when 63 percent of voters supported the initiative in 19 Massachusetts legislative districts. Being pushed by the Drug Policy Forum of Massachusetts, advocates cite a 2002 report by Boston University Economist, Jeffrey Miron that estimated marijuana possession arrests and court processing costs for the state at $24.3 million a year. Committee Co-Chairwoman Rep. Ruth Balser (D-Newton) said kids who are caught with marijuana often lose their chance at going to college because they have a criminal record.
"We don't want to ruin someone's life because of a stupid mistake," she said. "We're not saying it's a good thing to use marijuana," added Sen. Steven Tolman (D-Brighton) co-chairman of the committee. "But it could ruin a kid's future." Rep. Brian Wallace (D-South Boston) the lone opponent during today's committee vote, said the use of alcohol and marijuana often leads to the use of more harmful and addictive drugs, and for that reason, believes the penalties should remain tough. Other opponents agree that marijuana is a gateway to other drugs and is sending the wrong message to teenagers.
"This flies in the face of trying to keep young people off drugs," said William Breault of the Main South Alliance for Public Safety in Worcester. "But this is what we have to deal with now with this liberal state government."
Don't forget nicotine...which, like alcohol, is physically addictive (I know this quite well, 'cuz I was a tobacco addict for 19 yrs!). On the other hand, marijuana doesn't fit into that category. Oftentimes I go w/o smoking it simply because I either lose interest, have more important things to do, the supply is low, etc.....& it doesn't bother me one bit.
ANNUAL AMERICAN DEATHS CAUSED BY DRUGS
TOBACCO ........................ 400,000
ALCOHOL ........................ 100,000
ALL LEGAL DRUGS ................ 20,000
ALL ILLEGAL DRUGS .............. 15,000
CAFFEINE ....................... 2,000
ASPIRIN ........................ 500
MARIJUANA ...................... 0
You didn't include the devastation that alcohol plays on the mental health of the family menbers of alcoholics.
I saw it in my own family and it wasn't pretty.
My mother was destroyed by someone else's drinking.
Since the right of states to allow the use of medical marijuana was denied, there was a case in Washington, DC where a severely crippled man who was using marijuana for pain was arrested for possession of a small amount. He spent 10 days in DC Jail, became severaly ill, recived little care and died. All because he had a small amount to deal with his pain. The whole thing sounds like a combination of the drug companies and the prison corporations influencing government to keep their profits up while we pay the bill for courts, prisons, police, etc.
I have done some drug counseling for severely addicted people. I have never known one that did not start with cigarettes. That is the gateway drug!! Since people are given long jail sentences for cocaine and other drugs, it does not make any sense that it is very easy to get those same drugs in prison. I wonder why no prisoner has ever sued the state for failure to protect him from his addiction and allow him to become clean while imprisioned? For that matter I wonder why family members don't sue, since this causes so much sufferingfor them as well.
The lawyers of America as well as all the others making money off Marijuana won't allow its decriminalization.
Drug counseling, probation, lawyers, etc, all lose if it is not illegal. You think the lawyers are going to let any of their earning potential to erode? Regardless if it good for the country.
Lawyers, the scourage of the world.
Yes, I could have taken it further with alcohol.
I am very sorry about what happened to your family. Some people are self-destructive and also manage to destroy those around them. The crazy ones start drinking in seventh or eighth grade and usually die an early death.
The state of Texas has given the sentence of life in prison to people caught with ONE MARIJUANA SEED! This was 30 to 40 years ago, but it did happen. Certain cases were highly publicized in magazine articles years ago.
So I guess we should also ban alcohol and junk food, which are bad for you, in order to "send a message to young people." Here's my message to young people: government is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.
Nah, the WoD cheerleader brigade didn't show up :P
But "a dangerous servant and fearful master" is just the ticket as long as it is using its coercive power to protect drug dealing and drug abuse?
When you license it, you put those who produce and sell it under the protection of the state. Is that what you want?
For government to protect individual rights (such as the rights to sell, buy, and use drugs) is not for it to act as "master" ... "mastering" is what government does when it violates those rights.
Stick around ... you may get a chuckle out of Ickles' capering and gibbering.
So drug dealers should be protected by the coercive power of the state?
Whether the dealer is Seagrams, RJ Reynolds, or a legal, regulated marijuana seller, the answer is yes.
For as long as you can you'll avoid framing the issue that way, focusing instead on some mythical adult's right to responsibly shoot up in the innocent pursuit of happiness. When the public realizes the full parameters of what you're proposing, when they get a glimpse at the unintended (uninformed) consequences of this stupidity, they will resist it.
You will have to defend drug dealers and pushers as worthy of state protection. That's going to be one tough sale. Sucks to be you.
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