If you’ve been following the proposal by Methuen Mayor Bill Manzi to increase fines for lighting up a joint, check out Manzi’s blog today. Manzi responds to an Eagle-Tribune editorial, which, in turn, responds to Manzi’s proposal to hike fines for smoking pot in public. A little dizzying (the back and forth, not the post), but a good thread.
The Tribune criticized Manzi’s proposal, which would increase fines for smoking pot in public in addition to the $100 fine set forth in the new law for people caught with less than an ounce of marijuana. Opponants say it’s an attempt to work around the new law. Manzi, naturually, supports his proposal but points out the editorial cleared up some misconceptions. Probably the biggest misconception continues to be that the law legalized marijuana, which it didn’t. Instead, it made possession of less than an ounce of the stuff a civil offence rather than a criminal one.
For a really vigorous debate, check out the comments at the end of the original Tribune story — 91 at the time of this post. It’s certainly still a hot-button topic.
Noah R. Bombard is the new media editor for The Eagle-Tribune in North Andover. He is a former award-winning newspaper and magazine editor who has been covering news in Massachusetts since 1997.