The marijuana legalization question on the ballots in about a dozen states this fall may be a simple yes or no proposition. But today's conversation about marijuana is more complicated than you'd think, especially compared to the mostly one-sided debates of the war-on-drugs era. The campaigns in Massachusetts are already heating up. The proponents, a local affiliate of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, have been at it for a year, collecting signatures and building a base of support. The opposition opened its campaign this month, with Gov. Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh taking the lead and a new group, the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy Massachusetts, is backing them up. [continues 749 words]
It's a message as old as the War on Drugs: If there's anything you need to know about marijuana, just ask a cop. For some members of the Massachusetts state legislature, faced with the possibility that voters will legalize marijuana in November's election, the old playbook is the only one they have. So they invited some police in to explain drugs to them. The results were as predictable as a middle school D.A.R.E. assembly. The cops, including an officer from Colorado traveling the country warning about the danger of legalizing recreational marijuana use, advised Massachusetts to "Just Say No." [continues 754 words]
Before voters can decide whether to legalize pot, leaders must decide how A mature conversation about marijuana requires getting over the giggles and puns, says someone who long ago grew tired of snickers over "joint" committees, "higher" education, not to mention Rocky Mountain High. "It's part of people learning to talk about marijuana in a different way than they did as teenagers," Andrew Freedman, Colorado's first "marijuana czar," explained to a group of Massachusetts adults who are trying to do just that. [continues 998 words]
Puritanism, H.L. Mencken wrote, is "the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy." In a state founded by Puritans, that spirit lives on, if not in the minds of most citizens, at least in their government. Even in the 21st century, in a land that celebrates personal freedom and the breaking of boundaries, Massachusetts police, prosecutors and pols still act like guardians of public virtue. Exhibit A: Gov. Deval Patrick is leading an effort to punish people for their snacking choices. He wants to take away the sales tax exemption for some foods - sugary drinks and candy - which, consumed in excess, make some people fat. Go for the healthy munchies and drinks - or pay. [continues 680 words]
A year ago, a drug policy activist I was interviewing turned the tables on me. "What do you think it would take to get Americans to start talking seriously about legalizing pot?" he asked. I said maybe if some high profile celebrity got caught smoking marijuana, someone you never would have suspected - preferably a Republican. Catch Nancy Reagan with a joint, I said, and the national conversation about drug prohibition would change. Michael Phelps is no Nancy Reagan. But the conversation seemed to shift a little when photos surfaced of him hitting on a bong at a party on a South Carolina campus in February. There was the usual faux outrage to begin with, with commentators clucking about role models and talk of Phelps' endorsement contracts going up in smoke. There were the usual hippie-dippy jokes, with dated Cheech-and-Chong references. Phelps made the ritual apologies and promised never to do it again. [continues 1077 words]
Not much has changed since Richard Nixon declared war on drugs in 1971, including the rhetoric being used this year against Question 2, a referendum on the November ballot that would change possession of small amounts of marijuana from a criminal charge to a civil infraction and a $100 fine. Marijuana is more addictive and more potent than ever, opponents repeat with "Reefer Madness" alarm. It's a "gateway drug," they are still saying, with the same faulty logic: Almost every heroin user started by smoking pot, therefore a single puff starts you on the road to the hard stuff. Reducing the penalty for marijuana possession would "send the wrong message" to children, as if kids pay close attention to the actions of legislators and read the fine print in the drug statutes. [continues 636 words]
Now that we've settled the casino thing, anybody for a joint? Marijuana decriminalization is the next hot-button social issue moving through the state Legislature. But unlike casino gambling, marijuana reform can't be stopped by House Speaker Sal DiMasi. If the Legislature doesn't enact it, voters will see it on the November ballot. The initiative is simple. Possession of marijuana is now a criminal offense, punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $500. A single joint can get you a criminal record, a CORI file that can keep you from getting housing or a job and that makes you ineligible for a student loan. [continues 897 words]
Save us from politicians sending messages. They were at it again last week, debating a bill that would provide civil fines, instead of criminal records, for those caught possessing small amounts of marijuana. "That's the wrong message to send to our kids," Attorney General Tom Reilly said. "We have to keep them out of drugs." State Rep. Karyn Polito, R-Shrewsbury, agreed, saying the bill "sends the wrong message." Let's get real: Politicians don't send messages, especially to kids, who couldn't name their state representative if their iPods depended on it. For 40 years, politicians have been "sending messages" to kids about the dangers of pot and for 40 years, the kids have been ignoring them. [continues 813 words]
Save us from politicians sending messages. They were at it again last week, debating a bill that would provide civil fines, instead of criminal records, for those caught possessing small amounts of marijuana. "That's the wrong message to send to our kids," Attorney General Tom Reilly said. "We have to keep them out of drugs." State Rep. Karyn Polito, R-Shrewsbury, agreed, saying the bill "sends the wrong message." Let's get real: Politicians don't send messages, especially to kids, who couldn't name their state representative if their iPods depended on it. For 40 years, politicians have been "sending messages" to kids about the dangers of pot and for 40 years, the kids have been ignoring them. State legislators and attorneys general don't send messages; they pass laws and prosecute people caught breaking them. The law they have now said they can send you to prison for six months and fine you $500 for possession of a single joint - on top of your lawyer's fees, of course. Another law makes anyone convicted of marijuana possession ineligible for federal college loans or grants. Nice message they are sending: Anyone who smokes pot shouldn't be able to go to college. [continues 768 words]
Save us from politicians sending messages. They were at it again last week, debating a bill that would provide civil fines, instead of criminal records, for those caught possessing small amounts of marijuana. "That's the wrong message to send to our kids," Attorney General Tom Reilly said. "We have to keep them out of drugs." Let's get real: Politicians don't send messages, especially to kids, who couldn't name their state representative if their iPods depended on it. For 40 years, politicians have been "sending messages" to kids about the dangers of pot and for 40 years, the kids have been ignoring them. State legislators and attorneys general don't send messages; they pass laws and prosecute people caught breaking them. The law they have now says they can send you to prison for six months and fine you $500 for possession of a single joint - on top of your lawyer's fees, of course. Another law makes anyone convicted of marijuana possession ineligible for federal college loans or grants. [continues 840 words]
Save us from politicians sending messages. They were at it again last week, debating a bill that would provide civil fines, instead of criminal records, for those caught possessing small amounts of marijuana. "That's the wrong message to send to our kids," Attorney General Tom Reilly said. "We have to keep them out of drugs." State Rep. Karyn Polito, R-Shrewsbury, agreed, saying the bill "sends the wrong message." Let's get real: Politicians don't send messages, especially to kids, who couldn't name their state representative if their iPods depended on it. [continues 877 words]
Save us from politicians sending messages. They were at it again this week, debating a bill that would provide civil fines, instead of criminal records, for those caught possessing small amounts of marijuana. "That's the wrong message to send to our kids," Attorney General Tom Reilly said. "We have to keep them out of drugs." State Rep. Karyn Polito, R-Shrewsbury, agreed, saying the bill "sends the wrong message." Let's get real: Politicians don't send messages, especially to kids, who couldn't name their state representative if their iPods depended on it. For 40 years, politicians have been "sending messages" to kids about the dangers of pot and for 40 years, the kids have been ignoring them. [continues 847 words]
Save us from politicians sending messages. They were at it again this week, debating a bill that would provide civil fines, instead of criminal records, for those caught possessing small amounts of marijuana. "That's the wrong message to send to our kids," Attorney General Tom Reilly said. "We have to keep them out of drugs." State Rep. Karyn Polito, R-Shrewsbury, agreed, saying the bill "sends the wrong message." Let's get real: Politicians don't send messages, especially to kids, who couldn't name their state representative if their iPods depended on it. For 40 years, politicians have been "sending messages" to kids about the dangers of pot and for 40 years, the kids have been ignoring them. State legislators and attorneys general don't send messages; they pass laws and prosecute people caught breaking them. The law they have now says they can send you to prison for six months and fine you $500 for possession of a single joint -- on top of your lawyer's fees, of course. Another law makes anyone convicted of marijuana possession ineligible for federal college loans or grants. Nice message they are sending: Anyone who smokes pot shouldn't be able to go to college. [continues 763 words]
Our assumptions about crime and punishment are as old as the Old Testament and as modern as mandatory minimum sentences. The assumption runs like this: If people do things we don't like, we make it against the law. If we catch them, we lock them up. Prison is unpleasant enough to convince them not to do those bad things again. All assumptions should be tested from time to time, even the most ancient ones, so answer this: If prison punishment is supposed to stop people from committing crimes, why do two-thirds of prisoners released from America's prisons end up back behind bars within three years? The answer begins with a realistic look at what makes people commit crimes and what makes them stop. Those who have looked at crime and punishment most closely, from inside and outside the system, are beginning to acknowledge something the "tough on crime" politicians rarely admit: Our prisons are overflowing with people who are mentally ill and addicted to alcohol or drugs. After serving their sentences, they return to crime - and eventually to prison - because no one has bothered to treat their illness or addiction. [continues 1104 words]
Our assumptions about crime and punishment are as old as the Old Testament and as modern as mandatory minimum sentences. The assumption runs like this: If people do things we don't like, we make it against the law. If we catch them, we lock them up. Prison is unpleasant enough to convince them not to do those bad things again. All assumptions should be tested from time to time, even the most ancient ones, so answer this: If prison punishment is supposed to stop people from committing crimes, why do two-thirds of prisoners released from America's prisons end up back behind bars within three years? The answer begins with a realistic look at what makes people commit crimes and what makes them stop. Those who have looked at crime and punishment most closely, from inside and outside the system, are beginning to acknowledge something the "tough on crime" politicians rarely admit: Our prisons are overflowing with people who are mentally ill and addicted to alcohol or drugs. After serving their sentences, they return to crime - and eventually to prison - because no one has bothered to treat their illness or addiction. [continues 1099 words]
It was the largest crowd Senate candidate Carla Howell has addressed since launching her campaign against Ted Kennedy, and it had the most interesting hair and the most excessive tattoos. It's hard to tell how many of the 40,000 gathered on Boston Common Saturday are registered to vote, but there was no doubt about their enthusiam for Howell's pledge to end the war on drugs. Howell was followed on stage by Harry Browne, Libertarian candidate for president. "If, by some miracle, I am elected president in November," he said with a good-natured smile, "one of my first acts will be to pardon federal prisoners held on non-violent drug offenses." [continues 509 words]
