THANKS FOR 'YES' TO DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA

Thank you, North Shore voters, for instructing Mr. Berry and Mr. McGee "to
introduce and vote for legislation making possession of marijuana a civil
violation, like a traffic ticket instead of a criminal offense, and
requiring police to hold a person under 18 cited for possession until the
person is released to a parent or legal guardian or brought before a judge."

Your yes vote is a call for a return to the common law of arrest when the
offense is marijuana possession, which by only the greatest stretch of the
imagination can be considered by itself to be a breach of the peace.

If enacted by the Legislature, it will conserve first responders' time. The
proposed policy also conserves prosecutorial, public counsel and judicial
resources. The cost of current policy to just first responder budgets is
estimated at more than $24 million a year.

It gives back to cities and towns, as with traffic tickets in general, one
half of the fines collected on citations issued in the town.

During the campaign you heard from "thunderers," as conservative icon
William F. Buckley calls them, who said we must stay the course and
continue to criminally prosecute some 12,000 or more people each year in
order to show societal disapproval or else marijuana use will increase and
become more available.

Well, it is clear that current law reduces neither supply nor demand.
Anyone who wants marijuana can get it.

Close to 50 percent of you have tried marijuana at least once in your
lifetimes. Most of you never tried any other illicit drug. Almost all are
of you are good people. Some of you are politicians.

Please call Mr. Berry and Mr. McGee and ask them to follow the instructions
you have given them.

Steven S. Epstein, Esq.

West Street, Georgetown

Treasurer

Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition/NORML