Marijuana Blog

In a group of four cases, the highest court in Massachusetts ruled Friday that social sharing of marijuana is not criminal, but growing the plant is still an offense worthy of arrest.

 

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s decisions involved four cases of marijuana-related arrests made after Massachusetts residents voted to decriminalize possession of one ounce or less of cannabis in 2008. Under that law, possession of less than an ounce, while not criminal, remains a civil offense with a maximum penalty of $100.

 

In one of the cases, Commonwealth v. Kiiyan Jackson, the defendant, Jackson, was arrested in 2010 at Hempfest, an annual gathering in the Boston Common to advocate the legalization of marijuana, by two police officers in civilian clothing. The officers allegedly saw him passing a marijuana cigarette to someone sitting next to him and arrested him for distribution, an offense worthy of up to two years in prison or $5,000 in fines.

 

The court, however, ruled that, as opposed to paid distribution, “the social sharing of marijuana is no longer a crime,” according to the opinion released Friday.

 

In another case involving a 2010 arrest, Commonwealth v. Kenneth J. Palmer, Jr., police officers consensually entered Palmer’s house and arrested him on outstanding warrants for cultivation of marijuana in a school zone, a felony worthy of up to 15 years in prison and $10,000 in fines. The collected amount of marijuana weighed less than an ounce and a district court ruled that the case should not be considered a criminal offense.

 

The Supreme Judicial Court countered the ruling, asserting that “cultivation of marijuana … and the offense of simple possession of marijuana are ‘listed separately in the General Laws,’” according to the opinion.

 

Read more: http://dailyfreepress.com

 

PORTLAND -- The people behind a controversial marijuana billboard in downtown Portland have come up with a new message.

 

The original billboard (shown in photo at right) featured a photo of a glass of beer, a glass of wine, and a marijuana leaf. And below each photo, the words read: “Beer," "Wine," and "Safer," respectively. It was located at Southwest 13th Avenue and Southwest Alder Street.

The billboard went up on Thursday, March 29 and by that night, it was was no longer standing up. 

 

Roy Kaufmann, a spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, which paid for the sign, said they suspected it had been vandalized. Others questioned whether the wind may have taken down the billboard.  Portland police were investigating.

 

The Marijuana Policy Project said they designed the sign with the goal of getting people “to think about how marijuana is objectively less harmful than alcohol to consumers and the community,” Kaufmann said.

 

Now a new billboard has gone up that reads: "The truth cannot be destroyed."

 

The Marijuana Policy Project wants to get a measure on the 2016 ballot legalizing recreational marijuana in Oregon. Both Colorado and Washington passed similar bills last year.

 

Source: http://www.kgw.com