Bill to Decriminalize Marijuana Makes Its Way to Judiciary Committee
The Senate Judiciary Committee will hear a bill Tuesday on decriminalizing marijuana.
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A bill on decriminalizing marijuana will be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday afternoon, reports Projo.com.
The bill being reviewed would change the penalty for possession of marijuana for amounts of ounce or less.
If passed, the bill would change the penalty to a $250 fine instead of criminal penalties. Currently, possession of any amount of marijuana carries a criminal penalty of up to one year in jail and a $500 maximum fine.
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Rep. John G. Edwards (D-Dist. 70, Tiverton, Portsmouth) has also introduced legislation to decriminalize possession of up to one ounce of marijuana.
The legislation (2011-H5031), which he first introduced last year, would call for civil fines of $150 per occurrence for those who possess small amounts of marijuana. This legislation is being held for further study.
John Thomas
3:44 pm on Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Every major government commission has concluded marijuana is less "addictive" than coffee and FAR less harmful than alcohol. The reports of all of them can be read here:
http://www.druglibrary.org/SCHAFFER/Library/studies/studies.htm
The DEA's own administrative law judge, Francis Young, concluded after an exhaustive review of the evidence: "Marijuana, in its natural state, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man."
Alcohol directly kills more than 100,000 Americans every year. Indirectly, many thousands more in highway deaths and from alcohol-induced violence.
NO ONE has ever died from ingesting marijuana - in all of recorded history.
Marijuana is famous for creating a peaceful, friendly state of mind.
Many people think marijuana consumption causes accidents like alcohol. It doesn't, for various reasons. Research has shown marijuana is not as intoxicating as alcohol. More importantly, while alcohol drinkers think they are better drivers and so drive faster and more aggressively, marijuana consumers are very aware of their altered consciousness and correctly judge when they are too impaired to drive - refraining from doing so. If they must, they correctly compensate for their altered state by driving slower and more cautiously. They simply don't put themselves or others in harm's way. This is why marijuana is NOT a significant cause of auto accidents.
Marijuana is as near-benign as a recreational drug can get.
Local Yocal
4:22 pm on Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Marijuana can also lead to use of other drugs. If states want to decriminalize marijuana then it must be done at the federal level.
Hunter Brown
4:22 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
1. The gateway theory has proven to be a fallacy. http://healthland.time.com/2010/10/29/marijuna-as-a-gateway-drug-the-myth-that-will-not-die/
2. The state of Rhode Island completely has the right to repeal it's own state laws. The federal penalties remain in place. If the federal government wants to continue to waste money pursuing people who are in possession of small amounts of marijuana, then they can spend their resources to do it.
Scott Boyd
6:44 pm on Tuesday, May 24, 2011
This and so many issues are such a crock. Is it legal or illegal? Decriminalizing it is just a short cut way to making it taxed. The consequences for possessing decriminalized dope? Give the Govt some of your money and move along. Legalize it and tax it if that's what you want to do. Our police and courts don't need to be in the revenue collection business just because our legislators don't have the spine to deal with this plainly. If you decriminalize it, those who want to use it will, there will be very little deterrent left not to.
Hunter Brown
4:26 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
The fact remains that the federal government would likely refuse to allow a state to legalize marijuana. We will see what happens if Colorado decides to do it in November. Until then (and until the General Assesmbly comes along on the idea) this is a logical step in the right direction and certainly better than the previous law.
John Thomas
10:51 pm on Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Jasper
You are referring to the "gateway" theory. The Drug Czar's own 1999 Institute Of Medicine study of marijuana concluded the "gateway" is just a myth that does not operate in reality. This has been confirmed by every legitimate study since then. Simply looking at SAMHSA statistics shows that for every 100 people who try marijuana, only ONE goes on to become a regular consumer of cocaine - the next most popular "illegal" drug.
The only thing that creates a gateway is the fraudulent, counter-productive marijuana prohibition. Dutch drug policy officials report that allowing sale and consumption of marijuana successfully seperated it from the hard drugs - causing an aging out of the addict population.
John Thomas
10:55 pm on Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Scott Boyd
Yes. "Decriminalization" is a lame step toward rational regulation, missing the primary benefit of reforming marijuana law - that of removing the criminal empires that foster vast amounts of crime, violence, corruption and death.
Science, and experience, have clearly shown us marijuana is not addictive and is far less harmful than alcohol. There is no sane reason to regulate marijuana more strictly than alcohol.
Steve
12:04 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
Legalize it and regulate (and tax) it just like alcohol. Plain and simple.