Another state, Connecticut, is considering decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, less than 1 ounce.  The Governor’s intent is to reduce the prison population and save the state money.  This would also map to similar laws in their neighboring states of New York and Massachusetts.  Is this really a legitmate way to save money?  Many legislators don’t agree and this could open the door to marijuana use becoming more prevalent.  The proposed law doesn’t stipulate an age limit or how many times it is okay to be in possession.

Was the current prison population in the state that was convicted of marijuana possession also charged with another offense?  Detractors say that rarely is possession of a small amount of pot the only offense and that there are usually aggravating factors.  Of the 31 cases of possession as the primary offense up for trial now all of them are for 4 ounces or more and include other charges in addition to the possession charge or are part of a plea bargain that reduced the charges to only marijuana possession.  Drug tests are frequently used to determine whether someone has been driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and these would still be prosecuted as they have been.  Proponents of the bill say that in 2009 there were 8,118 arrests statewide for possession of marijuana. In 2,700 of those cases, possession of marijuana was the only charge and 75 percent of those involved less than one ounce of the substance.  Based on these statistics, it looks like this might save the state money, but will this increase drug use and arrests in the long term?  It might be the smartest way to save a buck!

Written by www.labtestingnow.com