June 14, 2010
General Assembly adjourns without voting on marijuana decriminalization
In their rush to focus on their elecotral campaigns, Rhode Island legislators have decided to adjourn early this year. Two of the many bills that were left without a vote were S2786 and H7317, both of which would have replaced criminal penalties for marijuana possession with a $150 civil fine.
With the support they enjoyed, these bills could have easily passed. We believe that even a governor's veto would not have stopped decriminalization. Unfortunately, some senators and representatives in leadership positions were afraid to take chances in an election year and prevented decrim from coming to a vote. Because of their unwarranted caution, we missed an opportunity to save our cash-strapped state $13 million and prevent approximately 600 unjust incarcerations. We will soon post report cards showing which policy-makers are friends of marijuana policy reform, and which are enemies.
This election season is our chance to prove that marijuana decriminalization is not only sensible policy but also good politics. Be sure to keep following us over the summer as we begin to discuss the candidates' positions on marijuana policy. The good news is that even if "tough on crime" candidates win every single election, we will still have enough allies in the Assembly to pass decriminalization. In an off year, it will more easily come to a vote.
Thank you to everyone who has supported us or volunteered for our cause since RICIMP was founded last August - we have made great strides towards progress. Special thanks are also due to Senator Josh Miller D - Cranston, Warwick), who chaired the Marijuana Prohibition Study Commission and fought hard for S2786; Representatives Edith Ajello (D - Providence) and Rod Driver (D - Charlestown, Exeter, Richmond), who co-sponsored tax & regulate bill H7838; and Representative John Edwards (D - Portsmouth, Tiverton), who led the 35 co-sponsors of decrim bill H7317.
June 1, 2010
One last push for decriminalization: We need your help now more than ever!
There are rumors circulating that the R.I. legislature is eager to end this year's session early to focus on the upcoming election season. Of course, there are important marijuana policy bills that remain in committee. Tax & Regulate legislation (H7838) will most likely die in committee, unfortunately. We did succeed in getting the conversation started on T&R and we expect it will be a hot issue in future sessions.
Decriminalization legislation (S2786, H7317) is far from dead, however. Support is high enough among Senators and Representatives that we can confidently say: if it comes to vote, decriminalization will pass. Sources tell us that it even has high enough support to override a veto by the Governor.
The only question, then, is whether the Senate leadership allows decriminalization to come to the floor and be voted on. Some Senators are afraid that allowing decriminalization to pass will harm their chances in the upcoming election. That couldn't be farther from the truth! Rhode Islanders support decriminalization at a higher rate than they voted for Obama in the last presidential election.
We only have a matter of weeks to make sure our Senators hear this message. Read on for instructions on how to get your voice heard.
Tell your Senator to support marijuana decriminalization!
There are two ways to contact your Senator (we're not too worried about the House at this point). Calling them on the phone is by far the most effective. In such a small state, it can take as few as 3-5 phone calls from constituents to change a legislator's position. It only takes five minutes, so why not?
1. If you don't know your Senator, look it up here: sos.ri.gov/vic/
Fill out the second form. When you get the results, scroll down to the very bottom to where it says "SENATORIAL:"
2. Find your district here: www.rilin.state.ri.us/Email/SenEmailListDistrict.asp
3. Call the number listed. Tell your Senator, their aide, or their message machine that you live in their district, then urge them to support marijuana decriminalization, S2786 in particular. Briefly explain your reasons: for example, it will save the state over $12 million, reduce the number of non-violent offenders in prison, and reduce racial and socioeconomic disparities in our criminal justice system. For more reasons to support decriminalization, read up on rimarijuana.org and mpp.org.
4. Send me an email (henry@rimarijuanapolicy.org) and let me know how your conservation went.
5. Tell your friends, family, and neighbors to call as well! These next couple weeks are critical to decriminalization's success.
The second method is to write your Senator. Remember, calling is much more effective, so call first before writing. It is quite easy, though. All you have to do is visit this link, personalize the message and enter your address. The message will automatically be routed to the correct Senator.
Volunteers needed to get the word out
In order to ensure that decriminalization passes this year, we need to get as many calls as possible to certain key Senators. That means we need to reach people who haven't yet signed up for this newsletter. We especially need to target Senate Majority Leader Dan Connors (Cumberland, Lincoln) and Senate President Teresa Paiva-Weed (Newport).
We need volunteers to visit these districts and go door-to-door with materials on decriminalization, finding supporters and encouraging them to call their Senator. I will give you all the materials you need, including suggestions on how to get the conversation started.
If you're interested, let me know (henry@rimarijuanapolicy.org) and I'll set you up with whatever you need.
Thanks for making RICIMP's first year a memorable one! Please contact your Senator and/or volunteer to go canvassing so it can be a successful year as well!
May 10, 2010
Senate Judiciary Committee tackles decriminalization
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.
April 15, 2010
House Judiciary hears decriminalization and tax and regulate bills
At last night's marathon House Judiciary Committee session, two important marijuana bills were heard. H7317 would replace criminal penalties for marijuana possession (one ounce or less) with a $150 fine. H7838 would set up a system to tax and regulate marijuana retailers, wholesalers, and home growers.
The committee was supportive of H7317, accepting the testimony in favor of the bill but questioning more closely the two opposition witnesses. Several possible amendments were suggested; the most important being a clause that would ensure that the civil penalty for marijuana would not violate parole. These amendments will have to go through before a vote takes place.
The testimony in favor of H7838 was quite strong, and a number of the committee members seemed to be in favor of the bill. Both bills were held for further study.
March 18, 2010
Hearing scheduled for tax and regulate legislation
Note: The hearing has been rescheduled to April 13 due to the flooding in Rhode Island.
On April 6, at 4:30 pm in the State House, the House Judiciary Committee will hear H7838. This historic legislation proposes regulations for wholesalers, retailers, and home growers of marijuana. Wholesalers would be taxed $50 per ounce, retailers taxed at the Rhode Island sales tax rate, and home growers taxed $100 per plant (with a maximum of three).
Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron recently presented data to the Senate study commission which predicted $40.5 million in savings and $7.6 million in tax revenue if such a policy were implemented. These estimates are four times higher than Miron's estimates of savings and revenue under a decriminalization policy. What is it exactly we are geting in return for our tax dollars? Surely not a reduction in marijuana use. Rhode Island's marijuana use rates are higher than every other state - and significantly higher than in countries such as the Netherlands where marijuana can be purchased without fear of arrest.
According to the bill:
Decades of arresting millions of marijuana users has failed to prevent teenagers or anyone else from using marijuana: a study published in the American Journal of Public Health compared marijuana use and sales are de facto legal, found “no evidence to support claims that criminalization reduces [marijuana] use”
Our legislators must understand how important this legislation is: Rhode Island has the opportunity to lead the nation in ending the war on marijuana. Please consider attending the April 6 hearing. If you are interested in speaking in favor of the bill, please contact me at henry[at]rimarijuanapolicy.org.
March 16, 2010
Senate study commission and OpenDoors RI both release reports endorsing the decriminalization of marijuana
This afternoon, the Marijuana Prohibition Study Commission met for the final time after a lack of consensus rendered the previous meeting inadequate. The commission voted an overwhelming 11-2 in support of the contents of its report (pdf), which included support for decriminalizing the possession of an ounce or less of marijuana. The two nay votes came from the panel's law enforcement representatives, who chose to ignore the data presented to the commission and instead hold on to their misguided opinions. Both, for example, cited concerns that marijuana is a dangerous drug, even though Dr. Lewis had presented an overview of the research just last meeting. His conclusion, which was uncontested at the time, was that while marijuana had dangers, they were very minor - especially when compared with legal drugs like alcohol and tobacco. Despite law enforcement's protestations, however, this was without doubt a victory for supporters of marijuana policy reform.
Another report was released today by OpenDoors RI, represented on the commission by Nick Horton. Although this covers a lot of the same data as the commission's report, it includes more on the topic of human costs - such as actual stories of Rhode Islanders who have spent time in prison for marijuana possession. With this report, OpenDoors endorses marijuana decriminalization as a step forward for social justice in Rhode Island. While the Senate report may carry more weight, I recommend OpenDoors' as a more comprehensive, better organized resource for marijuana policy activists in Rhode Island.
March 3, 2010
Legislation proposed to tax and regulate Rhode Island's marijuana
Last week, Representatives Ajello (D - Providence) and Driver (D - Charlestown, Exeter, Richmond) introduced historic legislation that aims to end marijuana prohibition in Rhode Island. In its place, H7838 proposes a set of regulations for wholesalers, retailers, and home growers of marijuana, and levies a tax of $50 per ounce. If passed into law, this act would raise considerable revenue in addition to saving millions in criminal justice expenses.
With a decriminalization bill already under consideration, R. I. now has two proposed alternatives to marijuana prohibition. As we discuss on our alternatives page, tax and regulate is the policy that offers the greater savings and revenue. It is consistent with the way we handle other potentially harmful substances such as alcohol and nicotine (it should be noted, however, that marijuana is far safer than either of those), and allows for regulations such as age limits, driving and heavy machinery penalties, health warnings, and advertising restrictions.
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