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So many criminals? : It's time for a frank, calm discussion about decriminalizing marijuana
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On Election Day, voters in Massachusetts took what they think will be a step forward for their state: They decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana.
Before you brush that off with, "Well, that's Massachusetts for you," consider that this is a state with not only a liberal bent but a strong Puritan streak. This is a place where you can't buy wine in a grocery store or pick up beer in a 7-Eleven. By two to one, voters decided that possessing less than an ounce of marijuana will net a civil fine of $100 and no criminal record (and, for young offenders, a required drug-education program and community service). The laws on growing and trafficking in marijuana are unchanged. But unless the state legislature overturns the ballot initiative, the penalty for possession will be, for adults, bigger than a parking ticket, smaller than a misdemeanor. And when the bill takes effect, what will happen? The Bay State will not fall into the clutches of evil and sin, any more than the Netherlands' enlightened drug policy has caused the prosperous, upright Dutch to sink into the sea. But thousands of hours of police time will be freed up, the equivalent of adding a lot of bodies to police forces. Court dockets will be stripped of thousands of cases, clearing the way for cases involving real crimes. Thousands of people won't find their futures compromised by criminal records. And defiance of the law won't be bred by putting otherwise law-abiding citizens in a bind, wher...
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