Pubdate: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 Source: Boston Weekly Dig (MA) Copyright: 2003 Boston Weekly Dig Contact: http://www.weeklydig.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1515 Author: Mark Lehrer Note: Editor's note from Weekly Dig editor Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n364/a04.html STONERS WRESTLE WITH PARANOIA This is in response to the article "Stoners Find Almost $25 Million: Offer It to Romney" (#5.09). Have you considered how much decriminalization will cost? With a reduction in asset forfeiture (if it applies to your state) and the possibility of the federal government cutting funds, this $25 million can disappear if the state government is not careful. This is one reason why state governments often fight decrim and legalization, though they will never publicly say it. Mark Lehrer Salt Lake City, Utah Ed. note: Under Massachusetts State Law: "No conveyance or real property used to facilitate the unlawful manufacturing, dispensing or distribution of, or the possession with intent unlawfully to manufacture, dispense, or distribute marihuana or a substance, not itself a controlled substance, containing any marihuana shall be forfeited if the net weight of the substance so manufactured, dispensed, or distributed or possessed with intent to manufacture, dispense or distribute, is less than 10 pounds in the aggregate." Lawyers from both the Massachusetts chapter of NORML and the Drug Policy Forum of Massachusetts claim they know of no case in which the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has derived any income from property forfeited by individuals charged with personal possession of marijuana, the only crime that proposed decriminalization legislation would effect. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth