Marijuana Can Become Legal

Today the Joint Committee on the Judiciary consisting of three Lynn delegation participants, will consider the possibility to make marijuana a legal drug.

Holding a meeting over the proposition of the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy (CSMP) to introduce fining and civil punishment for the possession of marijuana instead of putting into prison is a responsibility provided by the law.

The proposition is dubbed "An Act Establishing a Sensible Marijuana Policy for the Commonwealth."

As the CSMP initiative manager Whitney Taylor reports, the expenses which back the current legislation will be significantly reduced if the government introduces a fine instead of imprisonment for marijuana possession. Only in Massachusetts nearly 30 million dollars were paid in tax for arresting and holding the violators. The annual trials for about 8,000 violators come out even more expensive than the above mentioned numbers.

The CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) database has the criminal records registered. Commonly they result in restriction for educational loans, lifelong punishment, limitations in terms of job and employment, and restriction from beneficial realty opportunities, according to Taylor.

All Lynn representatives, including Steve Walsh and Robert Fennell, as well as Senator Thomas McGee, are registered in the joint committee.

The current meeting is the third one in the history of the proposal consideration: By 6 May, 2009 the committee is to accept the proposition and follow it to the governor, provide its own variant of initiative, or process no actions and let CSMP go on with promoting the proposition, reported Taylor.

Several advocates were provided by the CSMP to support the proposition. Thomas Kiley of Cosgrove and Senator Pat Jehlen are in their number.