Title:
R.I.: Help gather co-sponsors for decriminalization legislation
Message:
The 2012 legislative session kicked off yesterday in
Providence and legislators are hard at work. Senator Joshua Miller (D –
Cranston) and Rep. John G. Edwards (D – Portsmouth, Tiverton) plan to
introduce companion legislation that would decriminalize possession of up to
an ounce of marijuana. Please
email your state legislators and ask that they support decriminalizing
marijuana possession by co-sponsoring this important legislation!
Their bills are similar to the proposal the Rhode Island
General Assembly had before it last session. The current misdemeanor penalty
for possession of up to an ounce of marijuana – up to a year in jail and a $200
to $500 criminal fine – would be replaced with a civil fine of $150. This
change would enable Rhode Island to redirect its precious resources towards
crimes of violence, as opposed to wasting tax dollars on arresting and
prosecuting non-violent citizens for simply possessing a modest amount of marijuana.
Ask your elected officials to support
sensible marijuana reform by co-sponsoring decriminalization legislation.
Finally, please pass this alert on to friends
and family, so that they, too, can speak out for more sensible
and fair marijuana laws.
