| Photo: Senator Joshua Miller |
| Sen. Joshua Miller: “I think it’s an appropriate time for Rhode Island to act” |
One year ago, Senator Joshua Miller’s bill to decriminalize possession of up to an ounce of marijuana got held up in committee, but the Democrat from Cranston doesn’t give up that easy. He’s introducing the legislation again this year and hoping for a different result.
Senate Bill 0270, scheduled for a Tuesday hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, would make possession of an ounce or less of cannabis a civil offense, punishable by only a $150 fine, reports Randal Edgar of the Providence Journal.
The fine would double repeatedly over time, up to a maximum of $1,000 if it remained unpaid, but there would be no other criminal or civil punishment, except for repeat offenders who — on their third offense — could be charged with a misdemeanor.