Fresh off the heels of the overwhelming passage of Question 2, an initiative to decrimialize an ounce or less of marijuana in Massachusetts, top state legislators in Connecticut are making a play of their own. Recognizing that arrest for possession of small amounts of marijuana puts an enormous strain on law enforcement and criminal justice resources, state Senate majority leader Mark Looney and Senator Toni Harp, chairwoman of the appropriations committee, are seeking to recreate Mass's new rational policy in Connecticut.
Connecticut's bill would decriminalize marijuana possession by responsible adults and decrease the penalty from a misdemeanor to an infraction (not a criminal penalty) and a fine -- similar to a speeding ticket.
You can also vote on the issue here (hint: a great majority of voters chose the correct answer). Although the results are obviously not scientific, it is telling that the poll is overwhelmingly in favor of marijuana decrim (I let the cat out of the bag).
With a looming state deficit, lawmakers are relying on a fiscal argument to further their bill. While that does make sense, and a report by Harry Levine and Deborah Small document that low-level marijuana possession arrests cost between $1,500 and $2,500 per arrest and court costs, more and more people realize that marijuana possession should not be a criminal offense.
Let's hope that Connecticut lawmakers will recognize that marijuana possession should not be a criminal offense, and that the collateral consequences from being convicted, or even arrested, can last a lifetime. It is time that legislators start realizing what millions of Americans already know: it is impossible to arrest your way out of this issue, and criminalizing people for what they put into their bodies without harm to others has never worked.
Posted by Evan G.