Ballot initiatives today in 19 Massachusetts districts propose decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana, which would allow possession of the substance to be subject only to civil fines instead of criminal sanctions.
A study by Boston University Economics Professor Jeffrey Miron supports these actions, but says many actions associated with the drug would remain illegal.
‘Trafficking, and selling or distributing to minors, remain subject to standard criminal penalties,’ according to the study by Miron.
The study, ‘The Effect of Marijuana Decriminalization on the Budget of Massachusetts Governments’, argues that marijuana use would not increase if the policy became law.
‘Evaluations of decriminalization experiences in other states and countries provides little indication that use increases to any substantial degree as the result of decriminalization,’ the study reads.
The study also said decriminalization would save the state $24.3 million in law enforcement annually.
‘Police would not be spending time making arrests, doing paperwork, etc.,’ Miron said. ‘Instead, people would just be issued a civil fine, and much less police time would be spent.’
The Drug Policy Forum of Massachusetts collaborated with Miron on this study. Michael Cutler, a member of the Board of Directors of the DPF, said he believes this study and the ballot questions could speed up legislature to making decriminalization a state law.
A favorable vote on these initiatives would not immediately change the law, but would bring the issue to the attention of lawmakers.
‘This would send a message to legislature and leadership that legislature could support it without gaining enmity,’ Cutler said.
The 19 out of 160 Massachusetts districts whose ballots address this question include south Brookline, Hyde Park, east Dorchester, and Allston-Brighton.
‘Allston-Brighton is not where BU is located, but many students live there,’ Cutler said. ‘It will affect these students.’
Culter also said he thinks the current state of the budget deficit could make a difference with voters.
‘We’re looking at another $2 billion dollar deficit, cutting the state budget by 16 percent; that’s an enormous drop in revenue and services,’ Cutler said. ‘If legislature has to make a choice between providing services to homeless and other such programs or arresting pot smokers, they will find that arresting will do much less for public safety.’
Cutler defines the ‘small’ amount of marijuana being decriminalized as ‘personal.’
‘The personal use amount varies from person to person, whatever other evidence they find would also determine the charge,’ Cutler said.
In 2000, a question involving marijuana passed by more than 60 percent in three state representative districts and one senatorial district, according to Cutler.
Miron said he is sure this initiative will also garner support.
‘My guess is that they will win in most or all of the districts,’ Miron said. ‘People are likely to endorse them [because] relatively urban populations tend to be more liberal than rural.’
Yet College of Arts and Sciences junior Sundeyp Singh said he is not sure if voters will advocate the issue at hand.
‘It really depends on who’s voting,’ Singh said. ‘I think the younger generation would support it, but the older people are more set in their ways. Not everyone votes from the younger generation, so I think it might not get support.’