From The Boston Globe:

“It’s no longer a crime to have one ounce or less of pot in Massachusetts. The state’s new marijuana decriminalization law, approved by voters in a November referendum, goes into effect today. Those who are caught with an [...]]]> A new law that decriminalizes marijuana goes into effect TODAY across the state of Massachusetts.

From The Boston Globe:

“It’s no longer a crime to have one ounce or less of pot in Massachusetts. The state’s new marijuana decriminalization law, approved by voters in a November referendum, goes into effect today. Those who are caught with an ounce or less would get a ticket similar to a building code citation. They could appeal the civil infraction in court within 21 days or pay a $100 fine set in the law.”

Boston.com has a great Q&A interview with Gregory I. Massing, an attorney with the state’s executive office of public safety & security, regarding the impact of this new law.

Q: Are people allowed to smoke marijuana in public now as long as it is an ounce or less?

A: The new $100 civil penalty for possession of an ounce or less of marijuana applies to smoking marijuana in public: you can’t smoke it without possessing it. Question 2 gives municipalities the option to pass ordinances or by-laws to make public use of marijuana a crime.

Q: Are people allowed to smoke or use marijuana in private?

A: The same $100 civil penalty applies to smoking or using an ounce or less of marijuana in private. Question 2 did not change the criminal laws prohibiting possession of more than an ounce of marijuana, nor did it change the laws regarding distribution of any amount of marijuana.

Q: Is it legal to buy or sell marijuana?

A: Question 2 did not change the criminal laws prohibiting the distribution, sale, trafficking, or manufacturing of marijuana, or the possession of any amount of marijuana with intent to distribute, sell, traffic, or manufacture. Someone who buys more than an ounce of marijuana can be prosecuted for possessing more than an ounce of marijuana, which is still a crime. Someone who buys an ounce or less of marijuana is subject to the new $100 civil penalty. It is possible that someone who buys any amount of marijuana could be prosecuted for conspiracy to distribute marijuana. The decision whether or not to charge conspiracy is in the discretion of the relevant police department and district attorney’s office.

Q: Do the same laws apply to minors as adults?

A: Yes, except under Question 2 there are additional provisions (including a requirement to attend a drug awareness program) for persons under 18 who possess an ounce or less of marijuana. See our web site for provisions for offenders under 18.

#1 Landslide At The Ballot Box: Election Day Voters Reject Bush War Doctrine

Millions of Americans nationwide voted on Election Day for marijuana law reform, approving nine out of ten ballot measures to liberalize penalties on cannabis use and possession. In Massachusetts, [...]]]> NORML’s Top Ten Events That Shaped Marijuana Policy in 2008

#1 Landslide At The Ballot Box: Election Day Voters Reject Bush War Doctrine

Millions of Americans nationwide voted on Election Day for marijuana law reform, approving nine out of ten ballot measures to liberalize penalties on cannabis use and possession. In Massachusetts, where 65 percent of voters decided to reduce marijuana possession penalties to a $100 fine, and Michigan, where 63 percent of voters approved legalizing the medical use of cannabis, supporters for pot law reform outnumbered supporters for President-Elect Barack Obama.

#2 Members Of Congress Demand An End To Federal Pot Possession Arrests

Members of Congress convened a Capitol Hill press conference in July to demand lawmakers enact legislation to eliminate the government’s authority to arrest and prosecute adults who possess marijuana. Lawmakers called on colleagues to endorse HR 5843, which sought to remove federal penalties for the possession and non-profit transfer of marijuana by adults. 

#3 California Courts Rule: Medical Pot Statutes Don’t Conflict With Federal Anti-Drug Laws

State provisions allowing for the possession and use of medical marijuana do not conflict with federal anti-drug laws, according to a series of California court rulings. In two separate cases, the California Supreme Court refused to hear challenges to the state’s 12-year-old marijuana law finding that counties are obligated to issue identification cards to qualified patients and that police cannot seize marijuana from state-sanctioned medical pot users. Read the full story at: http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7678 .

#4: Marijuana “Exceptional” At Reducing MRSA

The administration of natural plant cannabinoids significantly reduces the spread of drug-resistant bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus (aka MRSA), according to a study published this fall in the Journal of Natural Products. MRSA is responsible for over 18,000 hospital-stay deaths each year.

#5 Marijuana Arrests For 2007 Reach All-Time High

Police arrested a record 872,721 Americans for marijuana violations in 2007, the highest annual total ever reported by the FBI. Since 1965, over 20 million Americans have been arrested for violating state or federal marijuana laws.

#6 Cannabis Determined To Be Less Harmful Than Alcohol

The potential health risks associated with cannabis are less than those associated with alcohol and do not justify the continued criminalization of the plant or its users, according to a report published in October by The Beckley Foundation an independent British think-tank that analyzes drug use and drug policy.

#7 Teen Pot Use Declines In States With Medical Cannabis Laws

States that have enacted legislation authorizing the use of medical cannabis by qualified patients have not experienced an increase in the drug’s use by the general population, according to a comprehensive report issued in June by the Marijuana Policy Project.

#8 Medical Marijuana Use Not Associated With Adverse Side Effects

The medical use of cannabis is not associated with serious negative side effects, according to a meta-analysis published this summer in the journal of the Canadian Medical Association (CMAJ).

#9 California Attorney General Issues Guidelines Recognizing Patients’ Medical Cannabis Use

State and local law enforcement should not arrest state qualified patients who possess, cultivate, or travel with medical marijuana, according to guidelines issued in August by the California Attorney General’s office. The guidelines also permit for the distribution and non-profit sales of medical cannabis is permitted by qualified “collectives and cooperatives.”

#10 NORML Daily Audio Stash Gains record Listenership

The popularity of NORML’s podcast grew significantly in 2008, topping more than 110,000 downloads in the month of October alone. Said host Russ Belville, “When it comes to the subject of marijuana, more and more people are turning away from the federal government and away from the mainstream media; instead, they are turning to groups like NORML and the NORML Daily Audio Stash as their most trusted source of information for all things cannabis.”

NORML and the NORML Foundation: 1600 K Street NW, Suite 501, Washington DC, 20006-2832
Tel: (202) 483-5500 Fax: (202) 483-0057 E