Decriminalizing drugs in Rhode Island: Proposed bill would make simple possession a civil violation | ABC6

“Our justice system should catch as much as what our medical neighborhood has lengthy acknowledged: dependancy is a illness,” says Rep. José Batista.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — A brand new invoice referred to the Home Judiciary Committee in Rhode Island would make easy possession of lower than an oz of any drug, besides fentanyl, unlawful.

The invoice, 2022-H 7896, was launched this week by Rep. José Batista.

Underneath the proposed laws, a person carrying lower than an oz can be given a $100 civil violation for his or her first offense, and as much as $300 anytime thereafter. Offenders would even be required to finish neighborhood service time and attend drug counseling.

“Our justice system should catch as much as what our medical neighborhood has lengthy acknowledged: dependancy is a illness. People who find themselves addicted want remedy, not jail,” mentioned Batista. “It harms people and it provides as much as monumental burdens on poor neighborhoods.”

The invoice would additionally prohibit police from having possible trigger or cheap suspicion to look the automobiles or properties of these with easy drug possession.

The sale of medicine would nonetheless be thought-about a prison act, with most sentences starting from one 12 months and $10,000 fines for sophistication 5 medicine to 30 years and $100,000 fines for sophistication 1 or 2 substances.

Dependancy researcher and advocate Sam Tarplin siad whereas having the exception for fentanyl “doesn’t make sense” to him since most customers have no idea if their drug may very well be laced with the substance, he agrees with the laws to decriminalize minor possession prices.

“For no matter motive, we put it on the police to deal with psychological well being points and substance abuse points,” mentioned Tarplin. “Dependancy is predicated largely on trauma and different psychological well being points, and serving a time period in jail or jail could make these points worse.”

Batista echoed an analogous assertion in a press launch despatched out on Friday morning.

“Folks hooked on medicine can rack up convictions, parole, violations, and prison data that forestall them from discovering jobs and houses, fueling hopelessness and additional dependancy. It harms people and it provides as much as monumental burdens on poor neighborhoods,” mentioned Batista. “The battle on medicine has not helped cease drug use; it has solely crammed our prisons and added to the destruction that medicine trigger to our communities. To scale back drug use, we want remedy, not incarceration.”