Above all else, the passage of Question 2, an initiative which moves to decriminalize the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana, marks a turning point for Massachusetts in regard to the attitudes of its citizens toward law enforcement priorities. It’s the first ever decriminalization bill passed by a voter initiative, which had to be petitioned onto the ballot prior to the vote through the sole efforts of the citizens of the Commonwealth. To quote Whitney Taylor, chair of the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy, “The people were ahead of the politicians on this issue; they recognize and want a more sensible approach to our marijuana policy.”
Opponents of marijuana decriminalization utilized resources in the offices of Governor Deval Patrick, Mayor Thomas Menino, the Attorney General and all 12 District Attorneys to spread numerous lies about the proposed bill, and in doing so, repeatedly broke the law in attempts to interfere with the minds of the very citizens whom elected their representation. In response, a demanding 1.4 million Massachusetts voters spoke loudly through the polling booths yesterday.
Now the big questions on the minds of Northeastern students are: What effects will this have on Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution and the enforcement of the code of conduct? What about Northeastern Division of Public Safety? The short answer, popular among those operating under the auspices of departmental support, is: it changes nothing. Students, I implore you, please do not be fooled by this statement. As it stands right now, the passage of Question 2 does not equate to any radical changes in Northeastern’s drug policy regarding marijuana and as far as I am aware, will not substantially impact how NUPD handles marijuana charges either.
However, there is a slightly longer answer that seems to be shared by those sympathetic to dated and failed policies, which is a mindset apparently shared with the overwhelming majority of Massachusetts voters of whom the students, faculty and staff all share this great city with.
December 4, 2008 will hopefully mark the enactment of this initiative, statistics will be collected over the following months to assess how the change of no longer handling pot smokers as dangerous criminals will affect our roads, our hospitals and our schools. Call me an optimist, but in all 11 states prior to Massachusetts where a marijuana decriminalization bill was enacted (going back to the 1970s in states like N.Y.), none have shown any significant changes in these rates, or in rates of drug abuse, over time. With this in mind, statistics are also recorded by our university in regards to those in violation of the Code of Conduct and what sanctions, if any, are imposed on the offenders. Though it will no longer be out of the question to begin discussing the reality of bringing changes to our drug policy that are reflective of the general community, this process will take time; however, if it becomes the case where Northeastern students are being punished more harshly and have more drastic consequences negatively affecting their future than deserved of the crime, which will no longer be the case of the average citizen of this state, it will be immensely difficult for this backwards approach to continue unchecked.
– Kevin Franciotti is resident of Students for Sensible Drug Policy.