Covered at Reason 24/7: Marijuana Decriminalization Goes Into Effect Today in Rhode Island

Reason

As of today anyone caught with less than an ounce of marijuana in Rhode Island will face a $150 fine. Legislators in Maine, Vermont, and Maryland are considering similar legislation while in Indiana the governor has put forward a proposal that would make possession of between a third of an ounce and 10 pounds of marijuana a felony instead of a misdemeanor.

From The Huffington Post:

This is not a prank: Rhode Island will officially decriminalize less than an ounce of marijuana on April 1, as a law signed last year by independent Gov. Lincoln Chafee goes into effect.

Decriminalization means that holding onto less than an ounce in Rhode Island will be punishable only by a $150 fine. Rhode Island's move makes it the fourteenth state in the nation to do away with criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana. In Colorado and Washington, meanwhile, marijuana is legal.

Follow this story and more at Reason 24/7.

If you have a story that would be of interest to Reason's readers please let us know by emailing the 24/7 crew at [e-mail], or tweet us stories at @reason247.

Comments

[Zeb]

So, over 10 pounds is OK in Indiana? Or is it now some kind of super-felony?

[$park?]

I would guess that more than 10 pounds makes you a dealer in which case you'd be lucky to be captured alive.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Decriminalization means that holding onto less than an ounce in Rhode Island will be punishable only by a $150 fine.

And if you fail to pay the fine? How long until SWAT riddles your dog with those rare and precious bullets?

[Ptah-Hotep]

Decriminalization means that holding onto less than an ounce in Rhode Island will be punishable only by a $150 fine.

If you can be fined, it is not decriminalized. If you are subject to penalties from the state, it is still a crime; albeit a lesser crime than before.

[Old Man With Candy]

Now they'll call it a "civil offense," sort of like speeding, rather than a "crime." That's how it used to work in California.

[sarcasmic]

I'm sure that the offense still comes with some evaluation followed by several hundred dollars worth of mandated counseling / treatment.

[Counterfly]

More like Roach Island, am i rite?

[Fist of Etiquette]

No, it's Rhode Island. Crack an atlas once in a while.

[Counterfly]

No thanks, I don't care for Ayn Rand. I only read post-modernist literature.

[SugarFree]

Well, that's a load off my mind. I mean the cops never put any effort into easy arrests that result in a revenue-generating fine, right?

[AlmightyJB]

OMG! Anarchy! Won't someone think of the children? The Children!