Pubdate: Sat, 29 Sep 2012
Source: Herald Bulletin, The (Anderson, IN)
Copyright: 2012 The Herald Bulletin
Contact:  http://www.theheraldbulletin.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3877

DECRIMINALIZE POT POSSESSION TO PUT RESOURCES TO BETTER USE

The legalization of marijuana has been a hot-button issue across the 
United States for decades. Some claim marijuana has virtually no 
detrimental effects. In fact, proponents say it's good for your 
health. Others say it not only removes inhibitions, it slows reflexes 
and kills brain cells. One thing's for sure: It costs millions of 
dollars to enforce penalties against those who grow, use and deal the 
weed. Motivated mostly by economics, 14 states have already voted to 
decriminalize the possession of marijuana. In Indiana, the effort, 
led by Republican state Sen. Brent Steele, is afoot.

Steele is drafting legislation to revise Indiana's criminal code and 
wants to alleviate the enormity of the marijuana problem for law 
enforcement officials, courtrooms and taxpayers. He wants to make 
possession of 10 grams or less of marijuana an infraction rather than 
a crime. Those found guilty of possession of such small quantities 
would pay a fine, as they would for common traffic violations.

That would mean the police and the penal system would deal far less 
with low-level pot possession cases, saving millions of dollars. 
While Steele has not offered a projection of Indiana's savings, a 
similar legal code change in Connecticut this year was projected to 
save about $11 million in law enforcement costs.

Under the proposed change to Indiana law, pot would still be illegal. 
It would be a crime to grow or possess large amounts, or to deal it.

After all these years, the benefits and drawbacks of pot are still 
debatable. Some can point to people they know whose personalities 
seemed to change with pot use or who started with pot as a gateway to 
cocaine and other drugs. Other people will swear that marijuana is 
totally harmless.

But there's no denying that the decriminalization of possessing small 
amounts of the weed would enable police, the courts and state and 
local government to use resources to address higher priorities.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom