Massachusetts Voters

What do you think about question 2?

"This proposed law would replace the criminal penalties for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana with a new system of civil penalties, to be enforced by issuing citations, and would exclude information regarding this civil offense from the state's criminal record information system. Offenders age 18 or older would be subject to forfeiture of the marijuana plus a civil penalty of $100. Offenders under the age of 18 would be subject to the same forfeiture and, if they complete a drug awareness program within one year of the offense, the same $100 penalty.

Offenders under 18 and their parents or legal guardian would be notified of the offense and the option for the offender to complete a drug awareness program developed by the state Department of Youth Services. Such programs would include ten hours of community service and at least four hours of instruction or group discussion concerning the use and abuse of marijuana and other drugs and emphasizing early detection and prevention of substance abuse.

The penalty for offenders under 18 who fail to complete such a program within one year could be increased to as much as $1,000, unless the offender showed an inability to pay, an inability to participate in such a program, or the unavailability of such a program. Such an offender's parents could also be held liable for the increased penalty. Failure by an offender under 17 to complete such a program could also be a basis for a delinquency proceeding.

The proposed law would define possession of one ounce or less of marijuana as including possession of one ounce or less of tetrahydrocannibinol ("THC"), or having metabolized products of marijuana or THC in one's body.

Under the proposed law, possessing an ounce or less of marijuana could not be grounds for state or local government entities imposing any other penalty, sanction, or disqualification, such as denying student financial aid, public housing, public financial assistance including unemployment benefits, the right to operate a motor vehicle, or the opportunity to serve as a foster or adoptive parent. The proposed law would allow local ordinances or bylaws that prohibit the public use of marijuana, and would not affect existing laws, practices, or policies concerning operating a motor vehicle or taking other actions while under the influence of marijuana, unlawful possession of prescription forms of marijuana, or selling, manufacturing, or trafficking in marijuana."

__________________
One hit, see blood.

It's not enough to just not get hit

Make it legal, tax it and get the street criminals out of the business and let the corporate criminals take over...I bet their stock would help bring up the market.

__________________
You are not where you have been and you are not where you are going you are only here.

I think it is a step in the right direction.

Very bad idea, promoted by selfish hedonists

__________________
Wolfgang says:

I could think of a million better things to do in Japan for a month besides jumping off of picnic tables. - x893

lol hedonists? geeze thats a bit strong. A lot of supporters dont even smoke it.

__________________
One hit, see blood.

It's not enough to just not get hit

Yes, there are those with a political point to make or axe to grind. Stupid idea either way.

__________________
Wolfgang says:

I could think of a million better things to do in Japan for a month besides jumping off of picnic tables. - x893

The ban on canabis cost so much money for no reward.

I think either ban it all (alchohol too) or legalize it all. Drop the hypocrisy.

__________________
One hit, see blood.

It's not enough to just not get hit

Ok, legalize crack and meth and heroin and the whole thing? Great idea. I'm sure society would benefit greatly from such a move.

__________________
Wolfgang says:

I could think of a million better things to do in Japan for a month besides jumping off of picnic tables. - x893

Well cigarettes kill more people than all illegal drugs, alcohol, handguns and AIDS combined, last i heard...

...and i for one am not about start smoking crack if it were made legal.

__________________
"It is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought the fool, than to open it and prove it so." KungFuTze
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." T. Geisel

As soon as people start pulling out the "but what about tobacco and alcohol, dude?" argument you know you are dealing with someone who just plain WANTS to smoke dope. All other arguments are just a means to that end.

__________________
Wolfgang says:

I could think of a million better things to do in Japan for a month besides jumping off of picnic tables. - x893

Wants? I live in Hawai'i and have very few wants...
But i did watch my dad die of tobacco induced lung cancer, pleuro-vac dripping dark fluid from his lungs, etc. and would care not to think of the horrible things i have personally seen (done?) that had alcohol involved...

I assume you have a biru or bit o' sake every once in a while Unk, no?
Is that not just as hedonistic?

__________________
"It is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought the fool, than to open it and prove it so." KungFuTze
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." T. Geisel

Sounds like you want to ban alcohol and tobacco. That's fine, good luck with that, but that in no way suggests that therefore pot should be legal. These substances are bad for people, so we have to allow MORE things that are bad for people! Doesn't really make sense.

__________________
Wolfgang says:

I could think of a million better things to do in Japan for a month besides jumping off of picnic tables. - x893

No, in fact just the opposite, i have read about what happened during prohibition.
Same thing with the War on Drugs.

Huge amounts of dollars in taxes, regulation of a harmful substance, disempowerment of the illegal channels and no more money wasted on a fanciful drug war all make sense to me...

The same reasons people hate the S-word, should apply here too i'd imagine.

__________________
"It is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought the fool, than to open it and prove it so." KungFuTze
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." T. Geisel

It is not the same situation as prohibition. Pot does not have the history of social acceptance as alcohol did when it was taken off the table. That argument doesn't work either, because at best it leads to the dead end of "nothing should ever be illegal because that might cause trouble."

Pot heads just want to smoke pot. That's about all there is to it.

__________________
Wolfgang says:

I could think of a million better things to do in Japan for a month besides jumping off of picnic tables. - x893