Marijuana Policy Project

Pot citations bringing cash into towns' coffers

Money might not grow on trees, but it does on weeds — and local municipalities are reaping the benefits.

Since Massachusetts voters decided to decriminalize possession of an ounce or less of marijuana in November, area police departments have been issuing civil citations and $100 fines, rather than arresting suspects.

And that has been pumping revenue into town coffers.

The big winners so far have been Mansfield and Foxboro, which house major entertainment centers attracting thousands of young concert goers, and have raised more than $28,000 combined since the law change went into effect in January.

Leading other area towns, Mansfield has received about $17,700 in fine payments, with many of infractions happening at the Comcast Center for the Performing Arts on South Main Street, according to the town clerk's office. Foxboro, with Gillette Stadium on Route 1, has taken in more than $11,000 in civil fines, according to Town Clerk Robert Cutler. He said some of the fines have been paid by the same person, as police catch repeat violators.

The money goes into the towns' general fund.

Other area municipalities have also reaped the benefits of the law change.

Attleboro has already taken in about $2,500 in fine payments, with about 25 citations still outstanding, Officer Susan Boisse said.

In North Attleboro, Town Clerk Max Gould reports the town has taken in about $2,400.

Norton and Wrentham have each taken in $1,600, according to the clerks in those towns.

Norfolk has received $1,500 in payments, with three outstanding citations, while Plainville has raised $600 with two outstanding tickets.

Data from Seekonk and Rehoboth was not immediately available.

Foxboro Police Chief Edward O'Leary said many of the violations are caught during a traffic stop, when an officer notices the odor of burning pot and asks if there's marijuana in the vehicle.

If the contraband is found, the officer confiscates it and writes a $100 ticket if the amount is within the non-criminal limit. While many towns still have outstanding fines and some violators have appealed their citations, many of the violators have quickly paid the debt and considered themselves lucky.

"The bulk of the people we deal with pay the fine," O'Leary said. "They're thrilled they're not arrested. The officer is thanked by them."

He said 90 percent of the town's violators choose to pay the fine.

Agreeing with the voters statewide on Question 2 on the Nov. 4, 2008, ballot, area residents voted to make possession of less than an ounce of marijuana a civil infraction.

All 10 Sun Chronicle-area municipalities voted in favor of the change.

Backers of the new law argued, in part, that it would free police and the courts to deal with more serious public safety matters.

Several area chiefs, along with their statewide counterparts, spoke out against the law change in the view that decriminalizing marijuana is a step in the wrong direction, just when National Risk Surveys were showing a drop in drug use among teens over the past decade.