Regarding Jim Miron's June 8 op-ed, if health outcomes determined drug laws instead of cultural norms, marijuana would be legal. Unlike alcohol, marijuana has never been shown to cause an overdose death, nor does it share the addictive properties of tobacco. Marijuana can be harmful if abused, but jail cells are inappropriate as health interventions and ineffective as deterrents. The first marijuana laws were enacted in response to Mexican immigration during the early 1900s, despite opposition from the American Medical Association. Dire warnings that marijuana inspires homicidal rages have been counterproductive at best. White Americans did not even begin to smoke pot until a soon-to-be entrenched federal bureaucracy began funding reefer madness propaganda. [continues 77 words]
House follows Senate in backing decriminalization Hartford - Connecticut is set to become the 14th state to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana after a bill to downgrade the penalties cleared the state House Tuesday on a 90-57 vote. The measure passed the Senate Saturday, and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said he will sign it into law. The bill does not affect the legality of marijuana, which remains illegal for nonmedical use in all 50 states. The bill reduces the penalty for possessing less than a half-ounce of marijuana from a crime with a potential prison sentence to a $150 violation on the first offense. Second and subsequent offenses carry a $200-$500 fine, and third-time offenders must enroll in a drug education program at their own expense. [continues 786 words]
On June 4, the Connecticut State Senate passed, by a 19-18 vote, a bill decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana. The bill was then approved in the Connecticut House of Representatives and will be sent to the governor for signature. Gov. Dannel Malloy is in support of the bill. According to a Harvard economist, Connecticut spends more than $130 million every year in enforcing marijuana prohibition laws. This is real money that can be better spent in Connecticut. [continues 637 words]
Starting next month, getting caught with a small amount of marijuana could cost Connecticut tokers as little as $150. Over the weekend, the State Senate passed a bill decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana. The bill is backed by Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy and is likely to pass the House. Connecticut follows a string of state that have decriminalized pot, including New York where a first offense of 25 grams (almost an ounce) or less is treated with a civil citation and a $100 fine. New Jersey passed a law last year to legalize medical marijuana, but possession of up to 50 grams for nonmedical purposes still is punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. [continues 414 words]
Hartford - A bill that would decriminalize but not legalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana passed the state Senate Saturday afternoon by the thinnest of margins and is headed to the House. Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, a Democrat, broke an 18-18 vote tie. The bill sets a $150 fine for a first offense of possessing a half-ounce or less of marijuana. Second-time offenders would be fined between $200 and $500 and required to enroll in a drug education program at their own expense. [continues 106 words]
HARTFORD -- Proponents hope amended language and a persuasive governor will guarantee the General Assembly passes one of a pair of controversial marijuana bills before next Wednesday's adjournment. "At least one of the two is going to pass," Michael Lawlor, Gov. Dannel Malloy's criminal justice undersecretary, said Wednesday as lawmakers worked behind the scenes to refine proposals decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana and legalizing it for medicinal purposes. The two bills survived the Legislative Committee process and await action in the Senate, which must pass them on to the House of Representatives. [continues 547 words]
Since 1972 when marijuana was placed as a Schedule I drug in the Federal Controlled Substance Act, there have been many questions about the safety and effectiveness of this drug in combating a variety of medical ailments. Arguments against the medical use of marijuana often focus on issues that have less to do with its therapeutic value and more to do with broader policy implications. Opponents frequently claim that the medical use of marijuana would set a bad example for youth, encourage more wide-spread use of the substance and generate other social problems. [continues 676 words]
A couple of weeks ago, as the legislature was debating two marijuana bills, a 29-year-old Oxford man named Cheyne Mazza pleaded guilty in federal court to involvement in a major marijuana-growing operation. He and his crew were nurturing more than 1,400 plants when the feds showed up in 2008. His maximum sentence is life in prison and and a $4 million fine. There were several others involved, including a former Ansonia alderman. They'll be sentenced in August, and will likely spend hard time in Club Fed. [continues 798 words]
Senate Majority Leader Says There's Not Enough Support In That Body HARTFORD - The drive to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana appears to be coming up short in the legislature this year. Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney, D-New Haven, conceded Friday that a bill to soften the penalty for possession of a half-ounce of pot or less does not currently have enough support in the chamber. "We did have a caucus last week and we were somewhat short of the number to pass it with purely Democratic votes," Looney said. "We may circle back around to that issue again." [continues 329 words]
A legislative committee has voted in favor of permitting the use of marijuana for medical purposes, bringing the bill one step closer to becoming law. I'm open-minded yet skeptical. If it's strictly monitored - keeping abuse to a minimum - and results in better pain management for those suffering, it might warrant being lawful. Although the measure would allow for the dispensing of only small amounts of medicinal marijuana, marijuana itself is readily available on the streets if the prescribed dosage isn't effective. Doctors would carry a heavy burden, needing to maintain vigilance and be watchful for abuse. [continues 321 words]
When Paul Blasenheim '12 tells people he is a drug policy activist, people assume that he "just wants to make smoking weed easier." To many, drug activism means student-hippies fighting for easier access to another fix. The movement, however, deals with much more than just legalizing pot -- activists are setting their sights on complex issues of race, class, and socio-economic inequality, while struggling to be taken seriously. At the center of drug activism at Wesleyan is Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP). Blasenheim founded the second incarnation of this group at Wesleyan in the fall of 2009, but an earlier chapter of this organization existed at Wesleyan in the early 2000s. [continues 844 words]
If Gov. Dannel Malloy gets his way, possessing under one ounce of marijuana will no longer be a crime in the state of Connecticut. At a conversation sponsored by the Yale College Democrats Monday night in the Branford Common Room, four panelists involved in government and the law discussed the decriminalization of marijuana before an audience of 20 students. Though they agreed that bills currently under consideration would save money for the government and reduce the number of prisoners statewide, each of the speakers said that concerns about appearing to publicly endorse marijuana use might impede decriminalization. [continues 469 words]
This is in response to the March 20 editorial "Ill-considered marijuana laws."The drug war is largely a war on marijuana smokers. In 2009, there were 858,405 marijuana arrests in the United States, almost 90 percent for simple possession. At a time when state and local governments are laying off police, firefighters and teachers, this country continues to spend enormous public resources criminalizing Americans who prefer marijuana to martinis. The result of this culture war is not lower rates of use. [continues 82 words]
It never fails to amaze us that the same people who are always saying, "If it saves one life, it's worth it," are unable to see the benefit of laws that ban, albeit imperfectly, behavior that does harm to individuals and to society. Typically, it comes down to partisanship and ideology. Consider the position far-left former lawmaker Michael Lawlor, now a member of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's inner circle as undersecretary of criminal justice policy and planning, on marijuana laws. [continues 318 words]
State Senator Toni Boucher (R-26), joined by concerned citizens, spoke out against several proposals before the General Assembly to decriminalize marijuana and allow medical marijuana in Connecticut. "We must not give Connecticut a 'soft on crime' reputation where it becomes easy to obtain a get-out-of-jail-free ticket," Ms. Boucher said in a press release. Ronni McLaughlin, a Wilton mom, has been a strong believer that taking away the teeth from legislation sends the wrong message to youths. She joined Ms. Boucher is speaking against the proposals. [continues 591 words]
It's time for credible drug law reform ("Smokin'," Feb. 24) and that includes decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana. Another reason to allow sick citizens to use cannabis is that it's Biblically correct. God indicates that He created all the seed-bearing plants, saying they are all good, on literally the very first page (see Genesis 1:11-12 and 29-30). The only Biblical mandate placed on the use of cannabis is to accept it with thankfulness (1 Timothy 4:1-5). "But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?" (1 John 3:17). Christ Jesus risked jail to heal the sick. Stan White Dillon, Colo. [end]
Bill revives vetoed proposal from 2007 The state's lawmakers are again taking on the divisive issue of medical marijuana. The same bill that would allow the medicinal use of marijuana that Gov. Jodi M. Rell vetoed in 2007 is going through the legislative process this year. This time, it not only has the support of the current governor, Dannel P. Malloy, but it comes out of his office. The bill is co-sponsored by the four top Democratic leaders in the legislature, Sen. Donald E. Williams, Sen. Martin Looney, Rep. Christopher G. Donovan and Rep. Brendan Sharkey. [continues 575 words]
Seems to be little doubt where University of Connecticut students stand on decriminalization of pot. The UConn Student Government voted 30-1 this week to support Gov. Dannel Malloy's proposal to decriminalize possession of less than one ounce of marijuana. "It is amazing to see that the representatives from such a diverse number of backgrounds could come together to nearly unanimously endorse marijuana reform," was the delighted response from Sam Tracy, a member of the university's student senate and president of the UConn chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy. [continues 371 words]
Making It Legal, Avoiding Paranoia and Joint-Passing Etiquette What's all this about Dan Malloy wanting to decriminalize marijuana? It's true, he's for it. In Gov. Malloy's 2011 Budget Address last week, he alluded to decriminalization as a means of saving money -- which was a smart approach. There are many good reasons to decriminalize, but the one that will be most universally accepted is the one that affects the state's wallet. "Despite the reforms of the past decade, we are still spending money we don't need to spend imprisoning people who, if given access to the treatment they need, would pose no threat to any of us," he said. "There are simply too many people who've been arrested or jailed for minor, non-violent or drug offenses who, if given access to alternative forms of punishment would take advantage of that additional chance to choose a different and better path." [continues 449 words]
What's all this about Dan Malloy wanting to decriminalize marijuana? It's true, he's for it. In Gov. Malloy's 2011 Budget Address last week, he alluded to decriminalization as a means of saving money -- which was a smart approach. There are many good reasons to decriminalize, but the one that will be most universally accepted is the one that affects the state's wallet. "Despite the reforms of the past decade, we are still spending money we don't need to spend imprisoning people who, if given access to the treatment they need, would pose no threat to any of us," he said. "There are simply too many people who've been arrested or jailed for minor, non-violent or drug offenses who, if given access to alternative forms of punishment would take advantage of that additional chance to choose a different and better path." [continues 451 words]
Inside Connecticut
