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Massachusetts Police Balk at Ticketing Marijuana Offenders
The Boston Globe ^ | January 5, 2009 | Michael Levenson

Posted on 01/05/2009 6:33:10 PM PST by Clinging Bitterly

Massachusetts officially decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana yesterday, but many police departments across the state were essentially ignoring the voter-passed law, saying they would not even bother to ticket people they see smoking marijuana.

"We're just basically not enforcing it right now," said Mark R. Laverdure, chief of police in Clinton...

(Excerpt) Read more at officer.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Massachusetts
KEYWORDS: davesnothere; donutwatch; drogs; dude; illegaldrugs; legalizemarijuana; wod
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Problem, it seems, is MA cops (properly IMO) lack the authority to demand identification from folks on the street not suspected of a crime. The old routine - to arrest or threaten with arrest, then cite and release - is no longer permissible.

Folks in MA now need to watch the state legislature when they try to "fix" this little problem and make sure they don't take any new powers the people don't want the government to have.

Oregon deciminalized less than an ounce maybe 35 years ago. At the time, like MA is now, it was a $100 max. fine. Over time it has inflated and now it's closer to a grand. I don't know about MA but I don't think Oregon cops would risk a paper cut, much less walk across the street, for a mere hundred bucks. And that may be the real problem. Seems to me it would be easy enough to bamboozle the average doper into providing ID.

1 posted on 01/05/2009 6:33:11 PM PST by Clinging Bitterly
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To: Dave in Eugene of all places

So, if a pot head is smokin’ dope in a no smokin’ zone will the fuzz still fine him for that? Just askin’.


2 posted on 01/05/2009 6:36:22 PM PST by saganite
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To: Dave in Eugene of all places

its not illegal to give a false name for a civil ticket, so its a waste of paper and ink for the cop to even try it. I hope the masswipes enjoy the smell of pot everywhere.


3 posted on 01/05/2009 6:37:18 PM PST by omega4179 (Bush Abandoned Ramos and Compean)
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To: Dave in Eugene of all places

I’m all for decriminalizing many drugs, but not arresting people doing it in public is folly. I doubt the police will let someone turn up a bottle of liquor on main street, and rightfully so. If people are going to do such things, it should be in a private residence.


4 posted on 01/05/2009 6:38:04 PM PST by KoRn
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To: saganite

Why would he? Only tar and nicotine are bad for you. Pot is good for you/sarc


5 posted on 01/05/2009 6:38:57 PM PST by mamelukesabre (Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum (If you want peace prepare for war))
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To: Dave in Eugene of all places

“Massachusetts officially decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana yesterday, but many police departments across the state were essentially ignoring the voter-passed law, saying they would not even bother to ticket people they see smoking marijuana.”

Ok...I’m either confused or this line makes no sense..

The ‘decriminalized’ possession of marijuana and the police are ‘ignoring’ the law by not ‘bothering to ticket people’?

That make any sense to anyone else?


6 posted on 01/05/2009 6:40:32 PM PST by Bigh4u2 (Denial is the first requirement to be a liberal)
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To: Bigh4u2

the = they...


7 posted on 01/05/2009 6:41:10 PM PST by Bigh4u2 (Denial is the first requirement to be a liberal)
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To: Dave in Eugene of all places

It sounds like they aren’t worried about second hand toke in assachusetts.


8 posted on 01/05/2009 6:41:41 PM PST by FlingWingFlyer (For more information on America's "new direction" read The Road to Serfdom. by Friedrich A. Hayek.)
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To: Bigh4u2

High cops...


9 posted on 01/05/2009 6:41:44 PM PST by Dallas59 (Not My President)
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To: Dallas59

Must be...

:0)


10 posted on 01/05/2009 6:42:08 PM PST by Bigh4u2 (Denial is the first requirement to be a liberal)
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To: Dave in Eugene of all places

Sure makes a difference who the prez is. Obama ain’t even prez yet and they are already working their way up to legalizing crack. Pretty soon, not only will prostitutes be legal, they’ll be running for office. And winning.


11 posted on 01/05/2009 6:42:37 PM PST by mamelukesabre (Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum (If you want peace prepare for war))
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To: Bigh4u2

yeah. You can’t arrest them, you can only ticket them. So why bother?


12 posted on 01/05/2009 6:44:11 PM PST by conivorous
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To: conivorous

“Andrew J. Sluckis Jr., chief of police in Auburn, said his 39 officers would not be issuing $100 citations for possession of an ounce or less of marijuana, as required under the ballot initiative known as Question 2.”

Ok..Got it now.

This law doesn’t ‘decriminalize’ it at all.

To ‘decriminalize’ something is to make it ‘exempt’ from fines or prosecution.

Not what this law does at all.


13 posted on 01/05/2009 6:47:08 PM PST by Bigh4u2 (Denial is the first requirement to be a liberal)
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To: mamelukesabre
Pretty soon, not only will prostitutes be legal, they’ll be running for office. And winning.

And we'll call them "Congressmen."

14 posted on 01/05/2009 6:47:52 PM PST by sionnsar (Iran Azadi|5yst3m 0wn3d-it's N0t Y0ur5 (SONY)|http://trad-anglican.faithweb.com/|RCongressIn2Years)
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To: Dave in Eugene of all places

I am ashamed to say I was born in that cesspool. But, hey, it wasn’t up to me!


15 posted on 01/05/2009 6:50:04 PM PST by the invisib1e hand (revolution is in the air.)
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To: Dave in Eugene of all places

Perfect, decriminalization really means legalization because unless you are being a complete asshole chances are there will be no arrest for pot smoking as it should be everywhere.

Let’s empty 25% of our prison population arrested over pot use and jail real criminals instead.


16 posted on 01/05/2009 6:54:17 PM PST by DoingTheFrenchMistake
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To: Dave in Eugene of all places
Very funny. Pot should be handled just like booze in my opinion. In fact so should heroin and Lysergic acid Diethylamide.

Eventually if the damn government gets the heck out of the way. The weak will fail and our human race will become better. And then the meek will get er done.

17 posted on 01/05/2009 6:57:12 PM PST by zootallure
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To: conivorous

Can you say REVENUE!?


18 posted on 01/05/2009 6:59:32 PM PST by zootallure
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To: conivorous

Can you say REVENUE!?


19 posted on 01/05/2009 6:59:37 PM PST by zootallure
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To: zootallure

I propose all recreational pharmaceuticals be laced with chemical castration additives. Then offer them free.


20 posted on 01/05/2009 7:01:03 PM PST by mamelukesabre (Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum (If you want peace prepare for war))
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