[420 Girl]

California has, for the most part, served as the ground zero for the battle over whether and to what degree to decriminalize marijuana.

Slowly, however, that smoky green spotlight has shifted to other parts of the country. And right now, it seems pretty squarely fixed on Rhode Island, of all places.

The latest: the Ocean State’s senate is currently holding hearings on whether to overhaul of the state’s pot laws, starting with decriminalization of small amounts of pot. Click here for the story from the Providence Journal (aka the ‘ProJo’, a name almost as cool as the Detroit ‘Freep’); here for a WSJ story from Wednesday.

Many pro-legalization advocates have touted the potential financial benefits to a state that is able to regulate — and tax — the sale of marijuana. There doesn’t seem to be much debate over the fact that a state would be able to dent its deficit by legalizing and taxing.

But some states aren’t looking that far ahead. Rather, they’re looking at decriminalization as a first step. Last month, Massachusetts officially decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana, following the passage of a ballot measure in November.

Here’s the particularly interesting part. Decriminalization advocates are using cost arguments as well, even when the issue is decoupled from the taxing issue.

But it’s proving to be a tougher case to make. Because, well, who knows what decriminalization would do? It, writes the ProJo, might save the state millions of dollars in prosecution and prison costs, or it could have the opposite effect, forcing state prosecutors to litigate scores of cases they now plead down to simple possession of marijuana.

Matthew S. Dawson, deputy chief of the criminal division within the Rhode Island attorney general’s office, said there would be “zero savings,” adding that because “there is no one in prison for marijuana only,” decriminalization would do very little to drive prison costs down.

The issue is playing out in other states as well. New Hampshire is considering a pair of House bills, one to legalize and tax pot sales, and another to decriminalize possession. A medical-marijuana bill passed last year but was vetoed by the governor.

Decriminalization measures have also been introduced in Vermont, Virginia and Washington, while medical-marijuana bills are being considered in Maryland, Delaware and Wisconsin, among other states.

http://www.420magazine.com/forums/in...ave-money.html