Pubdate: Mon, 11 Jun 2012
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Copyright: 2012 Associated Press
Contact:  http://www.mercurynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/390
Author: David Klepper, Associated Press

POT LAWS GETTING CLOSER LOOK

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- Catharine Leach is married and has two boys, 
age 2 and 8. She has a good job with a federal contractor and smokes 
pot most every day.

While she worries that her public support for marijuana 
decriminalization and legalization could cost her a job or bring the 
police to her door, the 30-year-old Warwick resident said she was 
tired of feeling like a criminal for using a drug that she said is 
far less harmful than the glass of wine or can of beer enjoyed by so 
many others after a long day's work. Like others around the nation 
working to relax penalties for possession of pot, she decided to stop 
hiding and speak out.

"I'm done being afraid," she said. "People in this country are 
finally coming around and seeing that putting someone in jail for 
this doesn't make sense. It's just a changing of the time."

Once consigned to the political fringe, marijuana policy is appearing 
on legislative agendas around the country thanks to an energized base 
of supporters and an increasingly open-minded public. Lawmakers from 
Rhode Island to Colorado are mulling medical marijuana programs, pot 
dispensaries, decriminalization and even legalization.

Seventeen states and the District of Columbia now authorize medical 
marijuana and 14, including neighboring Connecticut and 
Massachusetts, have rolled back criminal penalties for possession of 
small amounts of pot.

Rhode Island is poised to become the 15th state to decriminalize 
marijuana possession.

The state's General Assembly passed legislation last week that would 
eliminate the threat of big fines or even jail time for the 
possession of an ounce or less of pot.

Instead, adults caught with small amounts of marijuana would face a 
$150 civil fine. Police would confiscate the marijuana, but the 
incident would not appear on a person's criminal record.

Minors caught with pot would also have to complete a drug awareness 
program and community service.

Gov. Lincoln Chafee has said he is inclined to sign the legislation.

"America's 50-year war on drugs has been an abysmal failure," said 
Rep. John Savage, a retired school principal from East Providence. 
"Marijuana in this country should be legalized. It should be sold and taxed."

Opponents warned of dire consequences to the new policy.

"What kind of message are we sending to our youth? We are more 
worried about soda -- for health reasons -- than we are about 
marijuana," said one opponent, Rhode Island state Rep. John Carnevale 
a Democrat from Providence.

A survey by Rasmussen last month found that 56 percent of respondents 
favored legalizing and regulating marijuana.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom