Thousands of Citations Issued Since Rhode Island Decriminalized Marijuana
"Welcome to Rhode Island sign" at Beach Pond, Hope Valley, RI (Flickr/Morrow Long)
SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI A new report compiled by Peter Phipps, a professor of journalism at the University of Rhode Island, and students in his Media and Law course found that Rhode Island police officers continue to devote resources to enforcing laws against marijuana even after possession of small amounts was decriminalized in 2013.
According to the study, which analyzed data provided by police departments representing about 85% of the states population, officers issued approximately 5,000 citations for marijuana possession from April 2013 through 2017.
Each marijuana citation carries a minimum fine of $150.
Before this survey by journalism students at URI, no one knew how police in Rhode Island were enforcing the 2013 marijuana possession law, said Phipps. The class found stark differences from community to community. Among the states largest cities, Warwick and Pawtucket aggressively wrote marijuana citations, while Providence and Woonsocket police were more laissez faire. In 2015, for example, Warwick wrote 10 times as many citations as Providence. Overall, the class found police write most citations at traffic stops and cite males six times as frequently as females.
Advocates for legalizing and regulating marijuana see the report as further reason for Rhode Island to follow Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, and six other states around the country in ending marijuana prohibition.
Despite the fact that three out of five Rhode Islanders think its time to legalize and regulate marijuana, taxpayers are still contributing significant resources to enforce prohibition, saidMatthew Schweich, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, in a statement. It makes no sense to spend money on a policy that punishes adults for using a substance that is far less harmful than alcohol.
In the municipalities that provided data on race, the study also found significant disparities ...
