Massachusetts tries to recriminalize pot

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Dear Edward Hall:

Last November, 65% of Massachusetts voters removed the possibility of jail for simple marijuana possession, making adults' possession of an ounce or less a civil infraction punishable only by a $100 fine.

Despite this overwhelming mandate from voters, several bills have been introduced that would undermine the new law. If all of the bills were to pass, the places where the penalty would be reduced to a $100 fine would be shrunken to be almost meaningless. Together, the bills would recriminalize marijuana on municipal land and property, within 1,000 feet of school property, and in cars, allow good government workers to be fired for off-hours marijuna use, and subject those possessing marijuana to searches.

Please contact your legislators in opposition to these bills today. Although so far the bills have not received a hearing, they can move with almost no notice, so it's important you speak up now. These bills are insulting to voters and would pour more state money into the wasteful war on marijuana users.

Here's an overview of the bad bills that have been introduced:

HB 1536 states that the new law wouldn't "apply to persons found to be in possession of marijuana within a school, school yard, play ground, public library, municipal owned land, municipal owned building, or municipal owned vehicle." HB 1536 is in the Joint Committee on Judiciary.

HB 4006 would criminalize the possession of marijuana in a school zone, which includes within 1,000 feet of a school — even if it is out of session — and within 100 feet of a public park. The penalty would be a two-and-a-half year mandatory minimum, with a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison! HB 4006 has not been assigned to committee since being introduced on March 20.

HB 1763 states that "notwithstanding any law or special law to the contrary, school committees, employers, and people in charge of places open to the public shall be free to make rules and regulations prohibiting the use or possession of any amounts of marijuana on school grounds, places of employment, and places open to the public." HB 1763 has been in the Joint Committee on Judiciary since its introduction on January 16.

HB 4007 would criminalize the possession of marijuana while driving a vehicle. HB 4007 has not been assigned to committee since being introduced on March 20.

SB 1586 would increase penalties for the possession of marijuana by anyone in a vehicle to a fine of at least $1,000 and a suspension of one's drivers' license for up to 90 days. SB 1586 was referred to the Joint Committee on Judiciary on January 16.

SB 1825 states that nothing contained in the new law or any other law would restrict police officers from conducting searches based on probable cause that marijuana is present in a motor vehicle, in a container, or on a person. It would also allow governmental employers to adopt, modify, and enforce drug testing policies and promulgate restrictions regarding employment and licensing based on the use or possession of marijuana. SB 1825 was referred to Joint Committee on Judiciary since its on January 16.

Question 2 specifically removed all penalties for possessing an ounce or less of marijuana, expect for a $100 civil fine, forfeiture of the marijuana, and drug education for those under the age of 18. While Massachusetts is facing a $1.5 billion deficit, legislators are trying to spend voters' money to gut their law and lock up more marijuana users. It's time to raise your voice.

Please forward this alert to others in Massachusetts so they too can get involved by taking action. Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project and all of our allies.

Sincerely,



Nathan Miller
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

For crying out loud...

Is there even one reason why we shouldn't legalize pot?

Count on this: Somewhere, somehow there is Some One who lives in constant terror that Somewhere, Somehow, Some One is having fun or experiencing pleasure.

OK. But the Puritans failed on alcohol prohibition, and our modern hedonistic society mostly ignores them. Why can't we ignore them on the issue of pot too?

OK. But the Puritans failed on alcohol prohibition, and our modern hedonistic society mostly ignores them. Why can't we ignore them on the issue of pot too?

A small remark: They were in the early days of the colonial period quite successful of doing so in their settlements in the New World. A lot of people do not recognize that the Pilgrim Fathers did not left England because England was not liberal enough, but because England was for their taste too liberal (pubs, theatres, music, public kissing, women wearing jewellery, etc.) and neither king or parliament were willing to change this.

count on this: Somewhere, somehow there is Some One who lives in constant terror that Somewhere, Somehow, Some One is having fun or experiencing pleasure.

ruveyn

Is this really all that threatening. If the votes were there to pass the law in the first place one would think that there wouldn't be enough votes to water it down.

All that seems to be happening is that some of the bills are being refered to the "Joint Committee on Judiciary" which I assume means that all the committee members are smoking a joint.

...because they want to put us in prison.

Us? I don't smoke pot, so they don't want to put me in prison.