MARIJUANA POSSESSION SHOULD BE LEGALIZED

On Nov. 4, our neighbors to the north voted to decriminalize small
amounts of marijuana. As of Friday, anyone in Massachusetts caught
with an ounce or less would be issued a $100 ticket and would forfeit
the pot. Those younger than 18 who are found to have less than an
ounce of the drug must also complete a drug-awareness program within
one year.

Marijuana is not physically addictive and has been used for centuries
without any serious deleterious effect. Overuse can cause problems,
like anything else but, used responsibly, marijuana is benign, even
more so than alcohol.

Thus, possessing small amounts of marijuana should not be a crime in
and of itself. More and more states are decriminalizing marijuana for
medical and personal use and Connecticut should do the same.

The Massachusetts law makes a distinction between those who sell
weed, and those who use it for medical or even personal use - and
here's the problem: The new law is imperfect, raising all kinds of
questions about how users obtain the still-illegal substance.

As Californians can testify, getting the stuff, even for legal
medical use, is risky, thanks to a federal government that stands
four-square against legalization and occasionally demonstrates this
by prosecuting suppliers, whatever the state statute.

Selling weed for profit is treated as a criminal act - indeed, many
times pot sellers are prosecuted under interstate commerce
regulations as well as anti-drug laws. But, should it be legalized,
marijuana could be monitored, regulated for purity and taxed, like
alcohol, as a further form of income for the state.

The Massachusetts law makes no provision for this. The law is simply
intended to take the stigma off those who use small amounts of
marijuana and not cause them problems with school or future employment.

What does keeping marijuana illegal get - to the north or here at
home? Prisons crowded with non-violent stoners, room and board paid
for by taxpayers.

Decriminalization would be a cost-savings as well as a revenue
generator.