Question 2: Replace the criminal penalties for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana with a new system of civil penalties

Editorial: Vote Yes on Question 2
http://www.wickedlocal.com/brookline/homepage/x282375560/Editorial-Vote-Yes-on-Question-2

Brookline - We all know people who smoke marijuana. We may not know that they do, because they do it privately, but they do. They believe its much like alcohol when used moderately and socially.
While no one should be above the law, we agree with those who have problems with the law. Thats why were supporting Question 2 on the November ballot.

Question 2 would replace the criminal penalties for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana with a new system of civil penalties. The current penalty is up to a $500 fine and six months in jail, for any amount of pot. If decriminalized, pot would become a civil offense, similar to a speeding ticket. It would still be illegal; it just wouldnt remain on ones record forever.

Youths who are caught with small amounts of marijuana would be subject to a $100 fine, and be required to attend a state-administered drug awareness program. If they fail to do that, they would be subject to a $1,000 fine. As a Brookline police spokesman points out, this gives departments more ability to educate kids about the potential hazards of using marijuana.

Were not advocating the merits of smoking pot. Its still a mind-altering drug, as is alcohol. It still involves inhaling smoke into ones lungs, as do cigarettes. It can impair judgment, and were calling for its decriminalization, not legalization.

Opponents of the ballot question equate decriminalizing to legalizing, and say that marijuana is a gateway to other drugs, but their fears cant be backed up with facts. Eleven states have enacted similar laws, and theres no evidence of increased marijuana use.

According to a 2008 report by Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron, Massachusetts spends nearly $30 million a year on law enforcement related to low-level marijuana possession arrests. Our public safety resources should be allocated toward fighting violence and keeping our streets safe, not toward tying up the courts with minor infractions that do no harm to anybody.

We urge our readers to vote Yes on Question 2.