Providence, RI: Members of a special Senate committee last week called on lawmakers to decriminalize adult marijuana possession offenses.
“Rhode Island should adopt a decriminalization policy,” the Senate panel concluded. Lawmakers last year called for the creation of the panel to review the state’s marijuana policies and make recommendations to the legislature.
To date, thirteen states have decriminalized minor marijuana offenses – replacing criminal sanctions and/or incarceration with fine-only penalties.
Legislation to adopt a similar policy in Rhode Island is presently before the House Judiciary Committee.
The Senate panel reported that over 91 percent of the state’s marijuana arrests are for possession only. Of those first-time offenders sentenced to incarceration, defendants on average were sentenced to 3.5 months in jail.
“The majority of the Commission agrees that marijuana law reform will not only benefit the state from a budget perspective, but would also avoid costly arrests or incarcerations due to simple possession of marijuana,” authors reported.
Full text of the Senate Commission’s final report is available online at: http://www.projo.com/news/2010/pdf/0316_marijuana_commission_final_report.pdf.
For more information, please visit NORML’s ‘Take Action Center’ at: http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/.