Rhode Island Lawmakers To Introduce Pot Legalization Bill at State House

Third year in a row marijuana legalization legislation has been introduced

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Legislation that would legalize marijuana for anyone at least 21 years old and establish a system to regulate and tax the drug will be introduced this afternoon at the State House.

State Sen. Josh Miller, D-Cranston, and state Rep. Edith H. Ajello, D-Providence, will discuss the bill and participate in a 3:15 p.m. news conference with Regulate Rhode Island and the Marijuana Policy Project. Others scheduled to join them are Dr. David Lewis, founder of the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at Brown University, Jared Moffat, a Brown student and director of Regulate Rhode Island,  Beth Comery, a former Providence police officer, and Pat Smith, a former teacher at Warren High School.

Comments

[Mike Davis]

The Top Five Special Interest Groups Lobbying to Keep Marijuana Illegal:

1.) Police Unions
2.) Private Prisons Corporations
3.) Alcohol and Beer Companies
4.) Pharmaceutical Corporations
5.) Prison Guard Unions

http://www.republicreport.org/.....y-illegal/

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If this bill doesn't pass in Rhode Island, it will be because the police unions fought it kicking and screaming. They don't want to see their budgets decrease, so all they care about is maintaining the status quo. If marijuana were legal, one revenue stream that would cease for police would be asset forfeiture. Any time a dealer is arrested any cash is confiscated, 20% goes to the federal government and the rest goes to the local governments. It's become clear that the war on drugs, specifically marijuana, is not about public safety, it's about money. Luckily our state government is amenable to the influence of money. The senate president Teresa Paiva-Weed and house speaker Gordon Fox will ensure nothing changes by doing everything possible to table this bill for another year for "further study".