DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA

U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin has long been a leader in the fight for sane
drug policies. So we hope that she will sign on to legislation
proposed by Rep. Barney Frank, the Massachusetts Democrat who has
emerged as a key member of the House Democratic leadership team, that
would decriminalize marijuana.

With backing from Texas Republican Ron Paul, a 2008 presidential
candidate, Frank's HR 5843 seeks to eliminate all federal penalties,
including arrest, jail time and civil fines, prohibiting the personal
use and possession of up to 100 grams of marijuana.

This initiative should not be confused with efforts to remove
restrictions on the medicinal use of marijuana, which have met with
even more success at the state level.

Decriminalization of marijuana accepts that millions of Americans are
going to grow or purchase small amounts of the substance for personal
use and makes the determination that this ought not be a concern of
the criminal justice system.

"It is poor law enforcement to keep on the books legislation that
establishes as a crime something which in fact society does not
seriously wish to prosecute," says Frank, who has long been one of the
leading civil libertarians in Congress. "Having federal law
enforcement agents engaged in the prosecution of people who are
personally using marijuana is a waste of scarce resources better used
for serious crimes."

The American people are way ahead of their government when it comes to
recognizing that the government should not be arresting and jailing
people for simple marijuana possession.

Seventy-two percent of Americans surveyed for a Time/CNN poll several
years ago said that adults who use marijuana for recreational purposes
should be fined but not jailed, while 40 percent favored the
legalization of a small amount of pot.

Twelve states -- Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota,
Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and
Oregon -- have passed laws decriminalizing marijuana for personal
consumption.

Legislators in New Hampshire and Vermont are considering doing so,
while voters in Massachusetts will this fall decide by referendum
whether they want their state to decriminalization marijuana possession.

Wisconsin should do the same.

And Wisconsin's representatives in Washington should back Barney
Frank's bill.

(Learn more about Frank's proposal by visiting the congressman's Web
site at www.house.gov/frank/marijuana040208.html.)