Urge your legislators to vote against increased marijuana penalties

Recent bills introduced in the Mississippi legislature would create even harsher penalties for those convicted of marijuana offenses.

While possession of small amounts of marijuana is a misdemeanor in Mississippi, the state has a "possess a joint, lose your license" law that suspends the driver's license of an individual for six months after a single marijuana conviction.

House Bill 714, introduced by Rep. Howell (R-Kilmichael), would lengthen the license suspension to two years for a second conviction. The bill would also suspend a convicted individual's permits to hunt or fish. Senate Bill 2378, introduced by Sen. Huggins (R-Greenwood), and its companion legislation, House Bill 671, introduced by Rep. Guice (R-Ocean Springs), would revoke unemployment benefits for anyone who tests positive on a drug test or refuses to take one.

Please visit Take Action to send a pre-written letter to your state representative and senator. After you choose your favorite pre-written letter and type in your address, our site will automatically determine who your state legislators are and e-mail your letter to them … all with the click of a few buttons. The whole process takes less than two minutes but makes a world of difference. Also, please take a look at the bills themselves as these pieces of legislation are posted on MPP's Mississippi Bills Pending page.

All three of these bills prescribe punishments that are clearly disproportionate to their crimes. Revoking driving, hunting, and fishing privileges will do nothing to stop people from using marijuana, and withdrawing unemployment benefits will only harm the families of those who are already struggling economically.

Only you can let the Mississippi legislature know that arbitrarily increasing punishments for marijuana offenses will not make society any safer and that there is strong opposition to these unduly harsh pieces of legislation.