Pubdate: Fri, 07 Nov 2014
Source: Providence Journal, The (RI)
Copyright: 2014 The Providence Journal Company
Contact:  http://www.providencejournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/352
Author: Mark Gray

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION GAINS MOMENTUM

Tuesday's elections showed us that the momentum for marijuana policy 
reform continues to grow across the country. Oregon and Alaska became 
the third and fourth states to regulate and tax marijuana like 
alcohol, and voters in Washington, D.C. overwhelmingly approved a 
measure to remove all penalties for adult marijuana possession.

Americans are rejecting costly and ineffective marijuana laws that 
punish adults for using a substance that is less harmful than 
alcohol. Marijuana prohibition is on the way out.

Ballot initiatives to regulate and tax marijuana are expected to 
appear in Massachusetts and Maine in 2016. Rhode Island has an 
opportunity in the 2015 legislative session to become the first East 
Coast state to regulate and tax marijuana. I hope the General 
Assembly notices the national trend towards marijuana policy reform 
and enacts legislation to give our state a head start advantage in 
the emerging legal marijuana economy.

Mark Gray

Providence

The writer is president of Young Democrats of Rhode Island.
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