By now, you’ve probably seen the images of exultant Washington state residents lighting up marijuana cigarettes and pipes at midnight Dec. 6 when a new state law went into effect that decriminalizes possession of up to an ounce of pot by those 21 and older. (That amount, just less than 30 grams, is enough for 30 to 90 joints, we’re told.)
And in Colorado, possessing up to an ounce of pot (or six plants) also is now legal. Gov. John Hickenlooper on Monday quietly declared approval of a change to the state constitution that was approved by voters in November. The Guv tweeted the news from Denver, the appropriately nicknamed Mile High City, apparently wanting to avoid a repeat of the Washington state scene from four days earlier when tokers gathered at the foot of the Space Needle in Seattle to inhale their new freedom.
Fewer than two dozen people puffed pot on the steps of Colorado’s state Capitol, the Associated Press reported, at 4:20 p.m. Monday — a time picked because 420 is stoners’ code for consuming pot.
Even though public marijuana use violates both states’ laws, cops in both locations were mellow about it, and just weren’t motivated to make arrests at those pot parties.
Despite what the brouhaha might at first suggest, neither state’s actions come close to legalizing all marijuana use. That remains a pipe dream.
Selling grass is still illegal in Washington state and Colorado, and the U.S. Justice Department still says that federal prohibitions on possession, growth and use of marijuana remain in force and that federal law still trumps state law.
Which means pot users in Washington state and Colorado may still be prosecuted on federal charges.
Also still ahead for Washington and Colorado: state licensing of marijuana growers, processors and retailers, and the application of 25-percent taxes at each of those stages. In both states, that tax revenue will produce millions for state coffers to fund such areas as education, social services and pensions.
But what for Indiana?
A Ball State study released Thursday reports that 53 percent of Hoosiers (69 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds) favor some decriminalization of pot. Many baby boomers who either smoked marijuana or at least experienced contact highs while of college age, look favorably on relatively free use of the drug, even though is it said to be more potent now than back in the day. And it may well be that what we call responsible marijuana use, akin to responsible drinking, is quietly accepted more and more these days in our communities. It also may well be that decriminalization of pot is in Indiana’s future — and that free use of marijuana would not, in the greater scheme of things, do great damage to our society.
But rather than legalizing any amount of pot now, we prefer to see how an alternative approach might work for Indiana — that of reducing sentences for possession of 10 grams or less of pot. That is part of the General Assembly’s Criminal Code Evaluation Committee’s work that is designed to better match jail sentences with seriousness of crime. As conservative Republican state Rep. Heath VanNatter told CNHI statehouse reporter Maureen Hayden early this month, “We need to be spending our prison dollars more efectively than putting people away for minor violations like some kid caught with a joint in his pocket.”
That stance makes great sense. Let’s see how that approach would serve Indiana, while also keeping close watch on the decriminalizations in Washington state and Colorado.
Opinion
EDITORIAL: Toke ’em if ya got ’em?
- Opinion
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RONN MOTT: Ernie Pyle
I stepped back in time last week when I visited the Ernie Pyle World War II Museum in Dana.
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RONN MOTT: Pyle museum in Dana good way to study WWII
I stepped back in time last week when I visited the Ernie Pyle World War II Museum in Dana.
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FLASHPOINT: Legislative session reflected Hoosier priorities
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The celebration season
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RONN MOTT: Frustration
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EDITORIAL: Noteworthy in the news: MVC tourney an event worth having
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EDITORIAL: Cleaning up voter rolls
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READERS' FORUM: May 22, 2013
Rich history all along the river
Great work by Duke employees
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RONN MOTT: Rabid Republicans
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READERS’ FORUM: May 21, 2013
• Great response to annual golf outing
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LIZ CIANCONE: Smell of fresh air gave way to dryers
Remember when clean clothes smelled like fresh air and sunshine rather than fabric softener and dryer sheets?
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READERS' FORUM: May 20, 2013
The dangers of a little knowledge
Students enjoyed Rose study trip
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Mark Bennett: High-profile mural connects historical dots from city to river
At 96 feet wide and 2 stories tall, the power, impact and value of the Wabash will be evident.
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EDITORIAL: Waging the ‘readiness’ campaign
Almost every Hoosier who starts college intends to finish. Unfortunately, those who arrive on campus unprepared in key academic areas are far less likely to fulfill that aspiration.
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READERS' FORUM: May 19, 2013
• Flawed reasoning on gun checks
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FLASHPOINT: A legislative session of missed opportunities
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RONN MOTT: Mushrooms = Hoosier happiness
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EDITORIAL: Insult to an independent press
Distrust of government secrecy has been elevated to an exceptional level with the disclosure the Justice Department covertly examined two months of Associated Press phone records to determine who leaked details to the AP about a foiled terrorist plot.
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READERS' FORUM: May 17, 2013
Hinduism doesn’t deserve ridicule — Shefali Purohit, Terre Haute
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RONN MOTT: Israel’s Air Force
Recently the Israeli Air Force bombed and rocketed a convoy leaving Syria going to Lebanon with rockets that were going to be used to attack Israel. It did not get there. It was destroyed.
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EDITORIAL: Noteworthy in the news: Dashing finish for the Sycamores
It’s always thrilling to see Indiana State University’s athletic teams do well in high-level competition, and two specific teams rose to impressive heights last weekend in the Missouri Valley Conference outdoor track and field championships.
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Readers' Forum: May 16, 2013
Moving Deming folks sounds ‘nuts’
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Readers' Forum: May 15, 2013
Participants rise to the challenge: I would like to write a letter congratulating all the Wabash Valley Roadrunners that competed in the One America Indianapolis Mini Marathon.
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RONN MOTT: Media merry-go-round
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LIZ CIANCONE: Courts see a different appearance than cops
Have you ever noticed the transformation between the arrest of an accused lawbreaker and the first appearance in court?
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READERS' FORUM: May 14, 2013
ISTEP failure exposes flaws
Community hasn’t changed its spirit
Egregious threat to nation’s defense
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READERS' FORUM: May 13, 2013
• Women’s group criticizes Bucshon
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MARK BENNETT: Life at face value: Mom’s simple advice still presents a valuable daily challenge
Most moms don’t base their advice on scientific research.
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EDITORIAL: Better monitoring needed to prevent local environmental messes
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