Measure to decriminalize marijuana goes on Mass. ballot

While a recent poll showed that more than two thirds of Massachusetts voters favor relaxing laws against marijuana, State Representative Will N. Brownsberger ’78—a drug addiction and enforcement expert who represents parts of Belmont and Cambridge—said he has grave concerns about the wisdom of a November ballot initiative that would decriminalize possession of the drug.

The initiative, championed by the Committee of Sensible Marijuana Policy, would replace criminal penalties for possession of an ounce or less of personal use marijuana with civil penalties.

While penalties for selling, growing, and trafficking marijuana would remain unchanged, possession would be punished by a combination of a fines starting at $100, community service, and drug awareness programs. Marijuana possession would also no longer be recorded in the oft-maligned Criminal Offender Record Information system.

While some academics have come out in favor of the measure, Browsnberger called it “a side show” because the “real issue is cocaine and heroin.”

“That’s what people are going to jail for, that’s what people are dying from,” Brownsberger said, adding that the ballot measure on marijuana is “not worth pursuing.” [more]