Rhode Island Cops Have Already Written 850 Tickets for Marijuana Since April

This is what happens when you make possession and use of marijuana a "civil offense"

Police officers have written about 850 tickets under the new Rhode Island law that classifies possession of small amounts of marijuana as a civil violation, state officials said.

The Providence Journal reports that between April 1, when the law took effect, and the end of July, magistrates levied more than $110,000 in fines for possession of an ounce or less of pot against 663 adults and 92 juveniles. The state has collected about $61,000 of those fines so far.