Marijuana Blog

Proponents of legalizing marijuana in New Jersey received a boost from an unlikely source — the very people who prosecute pot users.

 

The New Jersey State Municipal Prosecutors Association in Hamilton, N.J., has come out in favor of legalizing possession of marijuana. The support of the prosecutors association comes as two bills were introduced this month in the New Jersey State Legislature and as polls show a majority of Americans favor legalization.

 

One of the bills, introduced March 10, calls for a referendum asking voters to legalize the possession of an ounce or less of marijuana. Assemblymen Reed Gusciora, a Democrat from Trenton, N.J., who also is municipal prosecutor in Lawrence Township, N.J., and Michael Patrick Carroll, a Republican from Morris Township, N.J., are its sponsors.

 

"If it were up to me, I would make all quantities legal," Carroll said. "Why should the government be in the business of criminalizing marijuana? All it does is create administrative Al Capones and puts the power in the hands of gangsters."

 

From the government's perspective, Carroll said legalizing marijuana would be a huge benefit. Government could save money by hiring fewer police and parole officers.

 

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com

Three students from New Milford High School have been arrested on drug charges and accused of selling marijuana laced brownies at the school of brownies with marijuana baked into them, police said.

 

Superintendent of Schools JeanAnn Paddyfote said three New Milford High School underclassmen were facing expulsion for violating the school's drug and alcohol policy.

 

The school's resource officer conducted an investigation March 18 at the high school because school authorities had learned a student was in possession of marijuana brownies and was trying to sell them to other students, according to police.

 

One youth had originally sold the brownies to a second youth, who brought the brownies into the school and sold them to a third youth, who in turn planned to sell them, police said.

 

When the third youth was confronted by school authorities, prescription drugs were found in his locker, which the youth said he also had planned to try to sell to fellow students, police said.

 

The three male students -- aged 14, 15 and 16 -- are facing criminal charges including illegal possession of a controlled substance, illegal sale of a controlled substance, dispensing a narcotic and conspiracy to commit sale of narcotics.

 

All three were released into their parents' custody on written promise to appear Tuesday, March 31 in Danbury Juvenile Court.

 

Source: http://www.ctpost.com/local/article

California was a pioneer in marijuana politics when it placed Proposition 19 on the California ballot during the 2010 Election. Unfortunately, that initiative failed on election day. I was very sad when legalization didn’t make the ballot in 2012 in California, and it appears that sadness will continue through 2014. Hopefully national organizations and local activists can all get on the same page for 2016.

 

A poll was released recently which found that a slim majority of California voters support marijuana legalization. Below is more info about the poll, which was conducted by PPIC Statewide Survey:

 

As proponents of marijuana legalization consider another ballot measure, Californians are currently divided on legalizing marijuana: 49 percent say it should be legal, 47 percent say it should not be legal. Among likely voters, a slim majority (53%) say marijuana should be legal, and 44 percent say it should be illegal. Last September, 52 percent of adults and 60 percent of likely voters said it should be legal. Slim majorities of adults said it should be illegal in March 2012 and September 2011 (51% each). In 2010, California adults were divided (September 2010: 47% yes, 49% no; May 2010: 48% yes, 49% no). In a February Pew Research Center survey of adults nationwide, 54 percent said legal, 42 percent said illegal.

 

Majorities of independents (60%) and Democrats (57%) say marijuana should be legal; 62 percent of Republicans say it should be illegal. Blacks (63%) and whites (57%) say it should be legal, a majority of Latinos say it should be illegal (60%), and Asians are divided (44% yes, 48% no). Younger Californians are much more likely than adults age 35 and older to say it should be legal (64% 18 to 34, 39% 35 to 54, 47% 55 and older). There is majority support for legalizing marijuana in the San Francisco Bay Area (59%) and the Inland Empire (52%), while Central Valley residents are divided (50% yes, 49% no), and majorities of Orange/San Diego (55%) and Los Angeles (52%) residents are opposed.

 

I was surprised that a majority of Latinos support marijuana prohibition, considering how much they are affected by it. Minorities, Latino or otherwise, are more likely to be a victim of marijuana prohibition. Hopefully people see these results, and do more to educate the Latino population in California.

 

Source: http://www.theweedblog.com