Towns Stiffen Marijuana Regs after Mass Eases Law
April 20, 2009
WFXT-TV Fox 25 (Dedham, MA)
BOSTON — Local authorities in Massachusetts, hoping to close loopholes created when the state's voters weakened penalities for possession of marijuana, are passing their own tougher regulations cracking down on pot.
Since voters approved a new law that decriminalized possession of an ounce or less of marjuana, at least seven communities have passed bylaws regulating or prohibiting pot consumption in public places.
Several others are considering measures after passage of the law, replacing a criminal punishment of up to six months in jail and a $500 fine with a $100 civil fine and forfeiture of the drug.
Advocates for decriminalizing small amounts of pot say enacting harsher penalties in cities and towns ignores the will of the voters. But some local officials say their communities need to put the teeth back into the punishment. | 
