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."
You can't prove any of your contentions with respect to drug use. None of them.
Adults are mythical? I guess I can believe you've never encountered one.
You will have to defend drug dealers and pushers as worthy of state protection.
I defend all who violate no rights as "worthy" of state protection ... and in this Land of the Free my argument has significant traction, which is why public opinion is steadily moving toward marijuana legalization.
Translation: Too many white kids gettin' busted.
These are all based of factual statistics. Sorry.
Drug prohibition is not working.
We need to immediately decriminalize the use of marijuana, and possibly some other illegal substances (I have my reservations about cocaine and heroin). Release all those who have been jailed for personal use.
Thereby free up space for keeping potentially dangerous border crossers, who currently are parolled for lack of space and disappear. People will wake up when the next 9/11 turns out to be one of these people. Free up personnel and $$ from prisons to be used for border surveilance and customs checking. There will still be plenty of work for lawyers, etc. But the work will be more to the point.
"parents of those 18 years and younger would be notified of the infraction." How is leaving punishment to parents rather than the government "liberal"?
They aren't leaving the punishment up to parents, are they? The fine is a civil penalty for anyone, regardless of age. All this is is a parental notification provision in a law that will otherwise treat teens and adults the same. That makes sense to me, I'd want to know if my teenage child was caught with pot.
I agree with you, but the drug war is based on marijuana prohibition. The states can handle the small number of cocaine and heroin addicts with no problem. The feds don't want to lose power to the states.
True ... I overstated my position.
All this is is a parental notification provision in a law that will otherwise treat teens and adults the same. That makes sense to me, I'd want to know if my teenage child was caught with pot.
Agreed.
With licensing come legal obligations for both the seller and the end user. I don't think it will ever happen because the state stands to make more money in prosecuting marijuana posession.
Link please.
Well said.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.