Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Criminal Law Blogs -> The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog

Criminal Law

: The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog

MA: Round Two for Question 2 The battle over marijuana laws moves to the local level.

By Real Cost of Prisons Project (The Sentencing Project)

News Round Two for Question 2 The battle over marijuana laws moves to the local level. Tuesday, March 17, 2009 By Maureen Turner Valley Advocate (Northampton, MA) Drug law reform advocates scored a decisive victory last November when voters approved, by a 65 to 35 margin, Question 2, which decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana. Under the new law, which went into effect in January, possession of one ounce or less of pot became a civil offense, punishable by a $100 fine but sparing the defendant a criminal record, sanctions like a loss of federal student loans, and even possible jail time. But even with such a clear victory, reformers have not been able to rest easy. While Question 2 garnered support from some surprising sectors (law enforcement professionals who see prosecution for minor possession as unduly harsh and a burden on the system; conservatives who question the tens of millions spent in Massachusetts each year to arrest and process the defendants), it also faced formidable political opposition from the state's district attorneys, police chiefs and the Patrick administration...continue to full post

Full post as published by The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog on March 20, 2009 (boomark / email).