OFFICIALS DECRY DECRIMINALIZATION MEASURE

Marijuana is a dangerous "gateway" drug and decriminalizing
possession sends a terrible message to young people, county law
enforcement officials said, voicing opposition to the ballot question
voters will address in two weeks.

Bristol County District Attorney Sam Sutter and Sheriff Thomas M.
Hodgson on Wednesday enjoined a Fall River inmate and recovering drug
addict, Pastor "P.J." Astacio of Fall River, to re-emphasize their
criticism of Question 2.

"I don't see how you can decriminalize marijuana without leading to
more use," Sutter said. "This is not a benign, happy drug. This is a
dangerous drug."

If the law passes, Hodgson said, "Imagine what the drug dealers will
now say to children."

Leaders of the initiative petition putting the question on the Nov. 4
ballot call opposition arguments incorrect.

"Changing the penalty system does not change the related marijuana
use or crime whatsoever. Their claims are ridiculous," said Whitney
A. Taylor, campaign manager for the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy.

"The gateway theory is also preposterous," she said. "It's like
saying everyone who rides a bicycle is going to end up riding a motorcycle."

Astacio, 49, who grew up in Spanish Harlem and a has been a Fall
River resident since 1995, said he was 12 years old when his cousin
introduced him to drugs.

"I smoked weed, drank beer and shot heroin -- all at the same time,"
he said during a press conference at the Bristol County Sheriff's Office.

"Almost every one I know started with marijuana," Astacio said. "It
lowers your inhibitions. It just makes everything OK. It's a gateway drug."

When he's tried to kick hard drugs, he'd drink and smoke pot for a
week or so, then start using cocaine and heroin again.

"What marijuana has done to me, and what it does to others, to those
of us who do have addictive natures and addictive personalities, is
it immediately releases the addictive natures," said Astacio.

Astacio has been clean since 2002 after serving 18 months for dealing
heroin; seeing his daughter visit him in prison was a factor in his
recovery, he said.

He recently received a six-month sentence in the House of Corrections
for violating probation after being caught driving with a suspended
license -- a lengthier sentence because of his drug history, he said.

"I'm allergic to drugs. I break out in handcuffs every time," Astacio
quipped. He's been working with the county prison's public program
Students Learning a Message (SLAM) to help young people understand
the impacts of drugs.

Hodgson and Sutter offered statistics they emphasized show close
correlations between crime and drugs, including marijuana.

Sutter said the quantity of pot qualifying as a civil offense -- up
to one ounce or 50-60 joints, $600 street value -- is "particularly
distressing."

Under the proposal:

. Those 18 or older caught with marijuana would be fined $100 and
forfeit the drug.

. Those under 18 would have their parents/guardians notified, receive
four hours of instruction about marijuana and drug use and do 10
hours of community service, with conditional penalties up to $1,000
if they don't comply.

. Possessing one ounce or less would not be grounds for state/local
governments imposing sanctions such as denying students financial
aid, public housing, unemployment benefits or right to operate a
motor vehicle. Other laws, like operating a vehicle under the
influence of marijuana and drug trafficking, would stay in effect.

Most importantly, advocates say, passage "would end creation of a
permanent record (Criminal Offender Record Information, or CORI,
reports) and barriers to housing and employment."

Whitney emphasized other states, including Maine and New York,
adopted similar laws without adverse impacts. "It's proven successful
in 11 other states, creating civil penalties instead of criminal
penalties," she said.

Asked if decriminalizing pot was not a mixed message to young people
and not supportive of parents, she said, "We want a sensible,
responsible marijuana policy, where you're not punished for the rest
of your lives."

Hodgson and Sutter said they've been partnering on the controversial
ballot issue in response to the large percentages of drug use,
including marijuana, related to crime and the misleading perception
passage would cause.

Hodgson said employers "have a right to know" if workers were
convicted of marijuana use. What would be next, decriminalizing
shoplifting because of hard economic times, he asked.

It makes people think marijuana use "is not such a bad thing," said
Hodgson, saying they'd "probably use cocaine next and maybe heroin.
It's clearly a gateway drug, and I don't think anyone can deny that," he said.

Sutter made a distinction with alcohol use, saying if an adult drinks
one or two beers "it does not change your consciousness," adding that
the same cannot be said of taking a "couple of hits of a joint."

He also said government officials want to discourage use of all
drugs: tobacco, alcohol and marijuana. "This law, if passed, sends
the opposite message."