New Poll Shows Rhode Islanders Support Decriminalizing Marijuana
Do you think marijuana should be decriminalized? Why or why not?
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A new poll shows strong support for decriminalizing marijuana in the Ocean State.
The Providence Journal reports that, out of 714 Rhode Island residents recently polled, a total of 65 percent said they wanted to see penalties for marijuana possession decreased.
These results come from a new poll by The Marijuana Policy Project group and was conducted by Public Policy Polling, a Democratic Party-affiliated pollster.
In 2011, state Rep. John Edwards (D-Tiverton, Portsmouth) introduced legislation supporting the decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana.
The legislation did not pass; however, WPRI reported this past January, Edwards hopes to continue his effort to decriminalize up to an ounce of marijuana in Rhode Island.
We want to know what you think. Should Rhode Island decriminalize up to an ounce of marijuana?
Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below.
Robin
9:52 am on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Definately support this legislation. It will save the state lots of money that can be spent more wisely elsewhere. IIt will free up our court system to concentrate on more serious crimes. It will give responsible adults persecuted for this "minor" offense a clean slate to pursue better jobs to support their families. Robin
Robert
10:17 am on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Against it. Do you want more potheads on the roads?
Patrick Malone
11:02 am on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
By that reasoning we should go back to prohibition. I believe alcohol has been the casue of more accidents that marijuana has.
Chris O'Hara
4:06 am on Monday, February 20, 2012
please do some homework.........this is the exact reason that the government and this country is in the hole it is............ignorant voters just like you......please do some research http://healthland.time.com/2011/12/02/why-medical-marijuana-laws-reduce-traffic-deaths/
Robert
11:17 am on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
By that reasoning,we should leagalize marijana because guns kill more people than knives do. Get real please.
Patrick Malone
4:57 pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
No, you've misinterpreted my statement. You said "Do you want more potheads on the roads?" My point is that alcohol has caused more damage to our society than pot has, yet where is the outrage there? You can't really justify keeping alcohol legal while at the same time keeping marijuana illegal. Except that the alcohol interests have a much more powerful lobby in Congress.
Tim
2:25 pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Robert, nobody is advocating DUI. Pay attention.
Cigarettes are sold on every corner and kill thousands every year yet maryjane is illegal and has never caused a death. It's absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to OD on pot. Trust me, I'm living proof. (many moons ago) Common sense tells me this is a ridiculous law. Legalize it, tax the beegeebees out of it, let our law enforcement spend their time looking for 'bad guys' and leave me alone.
Robert
2:50 pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
@ Tim,that's the rationalism of a lot of people." I'm not as bad as the next guy,go after them,not me." Tell me something,are your reflexes as sharp when you are high as when you aren't?
Robert
5:10 pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
@ Patrick, The subject is marijuana not alcohol. I agree with you about alcohol causing serious trouble. What I'm saying, why add one more" LEAGAL" impaired group.
Tim
5:58 am on Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Robert, nobody is advocating DUI. Pay attention.
Robin
10:35 am on Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Marijuana has proven medicinal purposes and needs to be taken seriously. We do not advocate pot heads but it can be regulated and taxed and help our economy and our sick, unlike cigarettes and alcohol. As with anything there are those that will abuse the system, that doesn't mean we can't find a way to make this work.
Robert
11:14 am on Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Go ahead and vote for it,then take the responsibility for any negative results.
Manifold Witness
7:37 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
As to the poll that the PROJO refers to, it was misleading and not scientific. It did not ask if you were in favor of legalizing marijuana. It asked if you approve of the current medical marijuana law.
I got a telephone call from the pollsters. It was a tape recorded message. It asks if you agree with RI's current law regarding marijuana being used for medical purposes. Then it says "press 1 for yes", "press 2 for no". Then, if you press 2 for no it puts you back to the beginning - it was misleading and it would not accept a no vote. It kept going back to the beginning so I hung up.
Maybe others pressed 1 to get out of the loop & maybe they counted the hangups as a no? Who knows. But it certainly was misleading & not at all scientific.
Keep in mind that some may have wanted to vote no because the law goes too far. Some no votes might be because the law doesn't go far enough. But the poll wasn't scientific enough to get to any of that. Very unfair.