Marijuana: Wisconsin Towns Join Decriminalization Trend
Small town Washburn, Wisconsin, may cling to the shores of Lake Superior at the northernmost tip of the state, but it's not clinging to tough marijuana law enforcement. Last week, the Washburn City Council passed an ordinance allowing city police to issue tickets to people caught with small amounts of marijuana instead of arresting and booking them.
That made Washburn only the latest Cheesehead State locality to pass a decrim ordinance -- and that distinction was short-lived. On Monday, the Two Rivers City Council passed an ordinance making possession of less than eight grams of marijuana a municipal offense.
The move to municipal decrim began in the 1970s, when 15 cities, mostly college towns, adopted ordinances, according to veteran Wisconsin marijuana and civil liberties activist Ben Masel. Milwaukee moved to the scheme in the early 1990s. Also in the early 1990s, counties were given similar authority, and Walworth County, home of the Alpine Valley Music Theater, which hosted Grateful Dead tours, notoriously turned a nice profit on $454 marijuana possession citations.
This year, Dane County (Madison) and Eau County prosecutors announced they would charge offenders exclusively under county ordinances rather than state law. But in other locales, that decision is left to local prosecutors. Being prosecuted under local ordinances has the benefit of leaving no criminal conviction and no loss of student aid or other benefits. But there can still be hefty penalties, and, Masel noted, a lower burden of proof for a civil infraction and no right to a jury trial.
It's all good with Washburn Assistant Police Chief Jeremy Clapero, who told a local radio station the ordinance would give police flexibility in dealing with pot users. Under Wisconsin law, simple marijuana possession is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. Previously lacking a municipal ordinance, police had to put marijuana possessors in jail.
"They were arrested on the spot and brought to jail -- they were booked into the jail and then they would be at some point released and appear in court on that charge," said Clapero. "Now there's a situation where they can get a ticket with the fine amount and released. It's not on their criminal record at that point."
While Clapero said people could still be arrested under the state law, the ordinance will save police time and resources. "A situation where a person has a small or a very small amount of marijuana in their possession or in their car, this may be used instead of bringing that person to criminal court and having a criminal offense on their record for something would he be issued a city ordinance citation which is a forfeiture offense -- similar to like a speeding ticket."
But don't think this means Washburn police have seen the light regarding the war on drugs. "It's not intended to say that we're not tough on drugs. We're still tough on drugs it's just gives us another avenue. We're behind just what every other agency has done, so we just kind of stepped up and did what they did." Clapero said.
reason not to smoke
Comment posted by Anonymous on Sat, 11/17/2007 - 5:54pmThe above comment would be excellent to show kids what happens when you smoke too much weed.
too much weed
Comment posted by Anonymous on Tue, 12/04/2007 - 5:29amyes, that would make for a great example. And punishing the use in a way similar to a parking ticket is certainly not going to improve the situation
not a big problem
Comment posted by Anonymous on Mon, 01/14/2008 - 11:09amplease understand what the media and the stupid "truth" commercials are stuffing into peoples heads are all garbage. If mairjuana was such a bad "drug", the government wouldnt decriminalize it.
wow you people
Comment posted by Anonymous on Thu, 03/13/2008 - 6:49pmFor those of you who still think it should be illegal just stop, if you don't want to do it, don't, but don't punish other people because you're being selfish. Bite your lip and let people get high in their homes. Seriously. Personally I don't smoke but I think if people want to do it and they're on their property then GO FOR IT
I'm screwed
Comment posted by Anonymous on Thu, 03/13/2008 - 9:00pmI got busted recently with about 1 small bowl worth of weed. I also had 3 pipes--1 mine, 2 were a friends. Cops were called to my house because my niece and wife got into a fistfight. Wife was pissed at me, so she told cops I had weed and gave them permission to search. I tried to ditch it but cop was looking in the open door as I walked past to stash it. He went right to the spot and found it. I work at the local Car-X. Ya, you guessed it. Mandatory license suspension for 6 months - 5 years. And yes, I need a drivers license to keep my job. So I'm looking at 6 months in jail, a $1000 fine, losing my licence for 6 months to 5 years, losing my job, losing my apartment and having to quit smoking weed. All for 1 fucking bowl. This is bullshit, I tell ya. Decriminalize the shit and leave the occasional smokers alone. I never bothered nobody. Fucking bullshit !!
I hear ya
Comment posted by Anonymous on Tue, 06/03/2008 - 2:04pmabout the same thing happend to me, I had a poss charge from 16 years ago, then cops found a small hitter in my back pocket, scraped the end out and called the resin in it pot, then charged me with a felony poss of pot, and poss of pariph, ended up with 3 yr probation, no dl for 6mo, over 3 grand in costs, got revoked for driving, and failing drug tests though, "not that I tryed to pass them" and served 80 days in jail to end it all. the more your in the system the harder it is on you it seems, it hurt me and my family in alot of ways besides the money, and driing,"we lived out of town" Now I live on the other side of the state to get away from the petty bullshit that the cops in Door County want to put people through, its such a money maker I doubt the laws will ever change. I dont drink, or do anything but smoke weed. I agree with other posts here to say the gov should take more time to focus on real criminals and signifigant crimes, not be so hipacritical cause most cops smoke pot too, Peace out
jims420@yahoo.com
idiots
Comment posted by Anonymous on Tue, 04/08/2008 - 12:24pmThere are bigger and better things to worry about than pot. I hate the U.S. cuz we have no freedom and you have a bunch of brain washed idiots that think everyone should be locked away if you don't do this or that. How about we take judges, doctors, athletes and test them all for drugs. Then lock them up for 5 years in prison and see how they feel. How about worry about the environment, or about the neighbor thats beating his wife and kids.
I would agree...
Comment posted by Anonymous on Sun, 04/13/2008 - 11:24amI happen to agree with "idiots". The people that tend to lead our communities, i.e. older, "wiser" etc., are more than likely closet smokers. Granted that's a generalized statement, but personally I don't get reefer madness. If a person is sensible enough to do in one's home what they want, what is the difference to the public at large? Sure, there is a problem with marijuana and kids, but so is alcohol and far worse substances. If marijuana weren't a controlled substance, but a substance that was controlled (18+ yrs. old anyone?), the effects would be far reaching. No longer will you have Mr. Nice guy who instead of chugging beer after work, smokes a joint and grills a steak living in fear of police raiding the house to take a gram of weed and lock him up. If citizens were allowed to grow their own just the same as a geranium, would there be so much more demand that gun toting mexicans (again a generalized statement) would be running for the border to make a profit? The U.S. of great A...I shake my head sometimes.
Its illegal to get caught, not to smoke..
Comment posted by Anonymous on Thu, 05/29/2008 - 9:16amPersonally i think that weed is a completely harmless substance and should not be dealt with like this. If people wanna go home after working 10 hours and smoke a joint or a bowl, so be it. its not hurting anyone. There are so many things that are fucked up in this world that we should be worrying about instead of a simple plant that gets you high. people are getting murdered, raped, kidnapped and much more worse, and our government is sitting around finding ways to get rid of weed. HOW FUCKING STUPID!
I personally feel...
Comment posted by Anonymous on Mon, 07/28/2008 - 12:39amIf marijuana was decriminalized across the U.S. we would become a better, happier and more prosperous nation than ever before. Fuck people who had everything they wanted all their lives. Sometimes people just need to smoke a bowl or rip a joint to cure their anxiety and stresses of life. As for those that don't smoke, it's O.K. Please don't hate on marijuana users. We aren't trying to hurt anybody. All we hope for is the day that our bitchass american government doesn't give a fuk about regular citizens smoking up. What ever happened to the freedom that this so called nation was built upon?
this is how i feel.. if anybody cares
Comment posted by Anonymous on Tue, 08/26/2008 - 11:13amI guess you can term pot users a "crowd" now, because it sure as hell seems like we are being stereotyped.
as for decriminalization, congress should sure as hell pass the bill. i've talked to some p.o's myself, and, though these cops are only from my county, they dont really give a rats ass if we smoke up in our houses.
just be smart about it for now, i guess.
its all good
Comment posted by Anonymous on Sat, 10/20/2007 - 6:55pmi fucking luv to smoke the fuck out and big coorporations are stopping that oh yeah and the fucking police take our shit from us and smoke that shit i think that if they want us to get along they should let us get high as hell w/o putting us in a cage