Senate Judiciary Committee tackles decriminalization

Published: May 6, 2010

On Tuesday, May 4, the Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee met to hear testimony on a bill introduced by Sen. Joshua Miller (D-Cranston) that would remove the current criminal penalty imposed on individuals found in possession of up to an ounce of marijuana and replace that criminal penalty with a simple civil fine of $150. If enacted, this bill would make Rhode Island the 14th state to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, Massachusetts being the most recent to do so. Please e-mail your state senator today and ask him or her to support this legislation and lobby Senate leadership to bring the bill to a vote.  

Senator Miller’s bill, co-sponsored by Republican Senator Leo Blais, would replace the current criminal penalty — up to a year in jail and a $500 fine — with a more sensible and simple $150 civil violation. The fine will escalate if unpaid, and multiple offenses could result in more severe consequences. In addition to saving up to $11 million annually in law enforcement costs, this sensible legislation would end the draconian practice of labeling first-time marijuana offenders as “criminals” — a label which carries heavy life consequences such as denial of federal student aid. MPP, our lobbyists, and our grantees are working hard in support of both this bill and a House version of decriminalization legislation authored by Rep. Edwards, but we need your help. It is crucial that legislators hear that their constituents support these reforms. Please ask your senator to support this bill and lobby for a vote. Also, take an additional minute and e-mail your representative and seek his or her support for Rep. Edwards bill!

Our lobbyists and grant-funded organizer, in conjunction with Open Doors, did a fantastic job of organizing witnesses to testify in support of Senator Miller’s bill. The committee heard supportive testimony from numerous individuals, including Senator Miller and MPP grantee Henry Harrison from the Rhode Island Campaign for Informed Marijuana Policy. Meanwhile, opposition testimony focused on the same old tired and discredited propaganda, unable to refute the effective arguments of those testifying in favor. Read about the hearing by visiting the Providence Journal.   

Although we had wonderful testifiers, constituent contact makes the biggest difference. Legislators want and need to hear from you. These e-mails are free and take only a minute of your time. Please e-mail your senator and state representative and request that they help to usher in new and more sensible marijuana reforms for the state of Rhode Island!

As always, thank you for all the hard and good work that you do.