State Legislators in Rhode Island and Maine Are Announcing Marijuana Legalization Bills Tomorrow

State legislators in Rhode Island and Maine will introduce bills tomorrow to legalize recreational marijuana, a spokesperson for the Marijuana Policy Project announced today.

State legislators in Rhode Island and Maine will announce bills tomorrow to legalize recreational marijuana, a spokesperson for the Marijuana Policy Project announced today.

Rhode Island Rep. Edith Ajello and Maine Rep. Diane Russell will hold a conference call tomorrow with the Marijuana Policy Project to announce the legislation.

MPP says that "similar proposals will be submitted in at least two other states — Vermont and Massachusetts." A ballot iniative legalizing medical marijuana passed in Massachusetts last week with more than 60 percent of the vote. Maine voters voted to expand the state's 1999 medical marijuana law in 2009 to include dispensaries. The Rhode Island legislature decriminalized marijuana earlier this year, and has had medical marijuana since 2006 (a stupid error on my part, since I blogged the Rhode Island legislature's decrim vote).

Correction: This post originally said that the bills would be introduced tomorrow. They will be announced tomorrow, and introduced when legislative sessions begin.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Legalizing marijuana = soft on crime.

[Mike Parent]

Keeping Marijuana Criminalized = Soft in the Head.

[DS]

If it's legalized, there's no crime on which to be soft.

[Pippers]

Good step forward. Hopefully the chain of Dominoes will continue to fall.

[A Secret Band of Robbers]

Their pizza has gotten a lot better, actually.

[Adam.]

+1 internets.

[Almanian_]

So Andre' 3000's, Marky Mark's, Tyrese Gibson and "That Other Guy's" mom from "Four Brothers" is a state legislator? I did not know that...

[Troy muy grande boner]

Holy Fucking Shit.

[Raston Bot]

Legalization in the northeast? I'm pessimistic.

[Nicholas Sarwark]

Good work by MPP to build on the momentum from CO and WA. My guess is that these bills die or get vetoed, but I couldn't imagine a straight-up legalization bill getting proposed in any statehouse prior to this year.

[pmains]

Governor LePage of Maine is a Ron Paul Republican. I could easily see him signing the bill.

[Cytotoxic]

Really?! In Maine?! Why haven't we heard of this guy before? What awesome stuff has he done?

[Auscifer]

LePage boycotted the RNC after Maine's elected delegates were replaced by Romney shills.

I'm not aware of LePage's record, just heard about him when he stood up for the delegates.

[Professor Booty]

He's fucking awful. Trust me.

[pmains]

Oh, well, since you put it that way ....

[sage]

Even if these people have shat on state rights until now, this is somewhat refreshing.

[Mike Parent]

Before the Prohibitionists come in with their "Doom and Gloom" lies and rhetoric please read this;
Lie #1 Gateway Drug.
FACT Marijuana is NOT a Gateway Drug. Here's a 12 Yr Univ Study that says so;.
Andrew Hryckowian - University of Pittsburgh.
http://www.pitt.edu/~ugr/Hrych2.pdf
Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Raven-... Marijuana is not a.
"gateway" drug.

Lie #2 Marijuana is addictive.

FACT Marijuana is no more addictive and less harmful than Caffeine;.
Dr Henningfield is a former NIDA Staffer;.
Addictiveness of Marijuana - ProCon.org.
http://www.procon.org/view.background...
urce.php? resourceID=1492

Lie #'s 3 & 4, Marijuana has not Medicinal Use and is Dangerous.

FACT In 1988, a DEA Administrative judge wrote, in a report.
Commissioned by the DEA; "16. Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. By any
measure of rational analysis marijuana can be safely used within a.

FACT For good measure, the CDC reported Med Marijuana doesn't increase teen use.

[Bones]

Question you folks might know the answer to so I don't have to look it up: If marijuana is legalized in these states, such as CO and WA and potentially ME and RI, does that mean an employer requiring a drug test would not be able to hold marijuana against you or would it still be classified a drug for those purposes, just not criminally prosecuted (by the state...I know the feds say otherwise)?

[Nicholas Sarwark]

Employers can still require that you be drug free to work somewhere; you can still refuse to work for employers who drug test.

[Eurynom0s]

There are a number of reasons that this will not follow national legalization. A big one is that there is a whole web of federal regulations that you need to follow to even think about bidding on government contracts, for one, regulations which include laying people off for marijuana use.

[SoccerMom1970]

For all those who oppose here are some facts to consider.

-- Results of the drug war over 100 years.

Rate of population addicted?

1.3% addicted in 1914 when all drugs were legal

1.3% addicted in 1970 when we stared the drug war

1.3% addicted today after 42-years of the drug war.

-- Misuse of police resources

Unsolved major crimes in Ma during 2006

Murders 51%

Reported Rapes 71%

Reported Robberies 77%

Reported assults 90%

We say reported because most people wont even report as they know it is not likely to be solved.

In 1963 US police solved 91% of murders.

2012 - only 61% of all murders are solved due to misuse of resources involving marijuana

[Sbobet]

marijuana is have many function for health, i support marijuana to legalize. Peace.....

[sbobet agent]

i dont think it can be done in all countries. its all depends on the quality of the people.

[ibcbet]

Legalization in the northeast? i support marijuana to legalize.

[ibcb]

Hopefully the chain of Dominoes will continue to fall. Thanks for sharing

[ibcbet]

Can be legalize

[Make money online]

Finally, the are now legalizing it! why would anyone legalize this substance that is killing our youths? why would the State Legislators in Rhode Island and Maine legalize Marijuana