On a ground-breaking vote, the legislature’s judiciary committee voted Tuesday night to decriminalize marijuana possession for adults 18 and older who have less than one-half of an ounce of the drug.
Under a compromise, the marijuana laws would not change for anyone under 18, and the amount that would be decriminalized was reduced from less than one ounce to less than one half of an ounce. The possession of small amounts would no longer be a crime and would instead be an infraction that could be paid like a speeding ticket.
The bill passed by 24 to 14 in the Democratic-dominated committee, and the highest-ranking Republican who voted for the measure was deputy House Republican leader William Hamzy of Plymouth.
Despite the positive vote Tuesday night, the bill still faces an uphill battle as Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell opposes the decriminalization. Rell had vetoed a bill two years ago that would have allowed for the use of marijuana for medical purposes to relieve pain.
“Whether it’s little or a lot, it is an illegal substance, and the governor does not support the bill,” Rell’s spokesman, Christopher Cooper, said Tuesday night after the vote.
via – The Hartford Courant “Judiciary Committee Votes To Decriminalize Marijuana“
It’s pretty incredible that law reform can progress through such an arduous path only to likely die at the hands of a prohibitionist governor. Why should one person thwart the will of the People as expressed through their elected officials?
The article clearly illustrates that more and more elected officials are basing their positions on fact rather than personal beliefs and outright fiction. One state official noted that a person driving 80 mph on a state parkway would get a bigger fine than someone possessing 15 joints. The reply from another state official was that the speeder was a greater danger to those around them than someone with weed. Common sense prevails!
Nutmeggers, don’t be held hostage to the whims of a prohibitionist. Governor Rell’s position is not fact based, it’s morality based. That sort of guidance is best received from your family and faith not a state governor. Why not take a moment and share that thought with Governor Rell?
