Pompo

Boston goes to pot
Smokers, cops roll with new law
1/3/09|The Boston Herald| by Jessica Fargen and Dave Wedge

Relieved weed smokers brazenly lit up on Hub streets without fear of arrest for the first time as cops statewide sought to sort out how to handle Massachusetts’ weakened pot laws.

“It’s super-relaxing,” said one 31-year-old professional as he fired up a joint in an East Boston park yesterday. “It’s just a lot more easy. I’m super happy this happened. It’s kind of like, ‘What’s the big deal?’ ”

Under the new state law that went into effect Thursday, possession of less than an ounce of marijuana became a civil infraction, rather than a criminal offense, punishable only by a $100 fine rather than arrest.

“This is just a common sense adjustment to the law,” said Bruce Mirken, spokesman for the Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project. “It’s not a day for parades. It’s a small step toward sanity.”

Police across the state, meanwhile, scrambled to figure out how to enforce the new rules.

In Boston, police brass sent out a training memo telling officers to use existing ticket books and give $100 citations to pot smokers by checking off “other” under the list of violations. Eventually, new ticket books will be printed that will include “marijuana possession” under the list of infractions, Boston police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said.

Cambridge police public information officer Frank Pasquarello said the department is still working on how to issue the new fines.

“We’re addressing it. We’ve always had discretion when someone has a small amount,” Pasquarello said. “It’s not like we grab everyone off the street smoking a joint anyway.”

Raynham police Chief Lou Pacheco agreed, but said his officers will continue to arrest dealers who have less than an ounce if it’s packaged for distribution.

“If they’ve got 20 or 30 joints, we’re going to charge them with possession with intent, even if it’s less than an ounce,” Pacheco said. “If it’s simple possession, we’ll just write them up.”

Some cities and towns - at the urging of the state - are eyeing laws banning pot smoking in public.

“(The weakened law is) sending the wrong message to a lot of kids,” said Lorrie Bruno, president of the Everett Common Council. “Marijuna is just a stepping stone to bigger and more expensive drugs.”