Massachusetts is the upside-down state. I voted for freedom in November, along with the vast majority of my fellow Bay Staters, to decriminalize possession of an ounce or less of marijuana. The result, now, is a $100 ticket. It seems reasonable, relative to the other states at least, to reduce pot from a jailable offense to a matter akin to a parking infraction. What disturbs me about the attitude of Massachusetts is rather than extend the logic of marijuana tolerance, the state has shifted the ire from pot toward beer and cigarettes.

Whereas smoking a joint on the streets of Boston now elicits a $100 fine, drinking a beer in public rates a $200 fine. Not only that, the Boston Police Department feels so threatened by the St. Patrick's Day Parade turning the streets of South Boston into an open-air barroom that they vow to use twitter--yes, twitter--to track alcohol scofflaws. In days past, alcohol in a plastic cup or a paper bag covering the container would be enough to avoid police hassle. Now a cash-strapped city urges police to ticket drinkers on a drinkers holiday. Why not make it open-container-friendly French Quarter or River Street for a day?

It gets worse. Shortly after voters told Bay State law-enforcement to leave pot-smokers alone, the Boston Public Health Commission--busybodies all--decreed a $200 fine for those temporarily residing in Boston's hotel rooms who decide to light up a cigarette. In Beantown, you don't get the choice of a smoking or non-smoking room. The anti-tobacco commissars decide for you. The same $200 penalty goes for those who light up on a dry dock, at the patio outside the bar, etc. Put another way, smoking cigarettes and drinking beers is a graver infraction in the eyes of the Boston Police Department than smoking marijuana.

For some reason, drinking in public is now viewed as an offense alongside public indecency and streetwalking. But everyone save Neil Dow has pounded a beer walking down the street, riding the bus, behind their high school. Should we throw the book at offenders partaking in a universal offense? One couple is even crusading--launching People Against Concert Tailgating--to block the lots of Massachusetts concert venues from opening until two hours before showtime. After the two most recent professional sports-team championships, public revelers--one drinking a beer on the sidewalk--died as a direct result of confrontations with the police. Society would do well heed the advice of The Beatles: Let it be.

Much of the contempt for cigarettes and alcohol, and the tolerance for marijuana, is cultural prejudice masquerading as public policy. In Massachusetts they've put dog tracks out of business but countenance horse racing; they've issued a death sentence against cigar bars in Boston but look the other way at pot; they target bookies but pine for gambling casinos to bolster the take of the ultimate "house." A prejudice, not a principle, motivates. Where you stand on such questions probably has something to do with whether you call March 17 Evacuation Day or St. Patrick's Day.

"Much of the contempt for cigarettes and alcohol, and the tolerance for marijuana, is cultural prejudice masquerading as public policy."

Probably the best quote I have heard on this issue.

The "sin" taxes on these items are getting out of hand. For 3 years now I have rolled my own cigarettes. In part to save money, as the tax on loose tobacco is less than a pound. A pound of tobacco makes a little more than 500 cigarettes, and costs about $15. Also, rolling my own makes me realize that I am nothing but a junkie who's drug of choice is nicotine. Therefore I smoke much less.

However, part of the new tax to pay for SCHIP has increased said tax by over 2,500 %. On April 1st the same pound will cost roughly $43, all of the increase coming from taxes. We now have the government making more money on tobacco than the farmers. Something is quite wrong there.

I have found a way around said tax, and the feds can do nothing about it. We live in tobacco country and I can buy ten burley plants to grow in my garden. After some aging I will have one years worth of tobacco, totally tax free.

Mark my words that soon we will see an enormous increase in black-market ciggies. The illicit cigarette trade will be nearly as widespread as marijuana trade in a few years.

But, we are smokers, we are the scum of the earth anyway, right?

I would like to quit, but I assure you that this is harder than my addiction to painkillers post-op was. If they are serious about trying to make people quit, why do they not distribute free stop smoking aids? It is not about health, it is about power and tax revenue.

Be well,

Sponge

Officials in Boston, Mass., or probably anywhere for that matter could care less of public offense or health. That's the diversion for those who really think that somebody is concerned about their welfare and wants to take care of them.

With regard to cigarettes and booze, the banning and/or fining thereof has everything to do with making that buck coming and going.

And the money hungry hyenas in Mass. can NEVER get enough.

No further outside than the threshold of a brownstone in the 500 block of East Broadway, ironically right across the street from the South Boston Municipal Court, my 26 year old daughter was handed a citation by a Boston uniformed officer, who had stood outside on the sidewalk and waiting for someone to emerge from the apartment within with a beer in hand. Because many of the young people had run in the St Patrick's Day Road Race family and friends had gathered early, around 9:30 am; this was not a good thing. The high visibilty of an on the parade route address and the early gathering of professional people with Bloody Marys in hand was unfortunately a beacon for aggressive law enforcement. Many, many uiformed officers walked back and forth on Broadway in the 3 odd hours before the parade began. Unfortunately for us, one individual targeted our group with repeated passbys and 2 warnings. A public servant that was out to make a point--I don't care who you are or how you behave, an open container on this parade route and your breaking the law. Public drinking? hardly. On a beautiful day, when all wanted more outside than inside, this cop made our day miserable. 40 people had their parade day spoiled by this guy's inability to tell the difference between people enjoying themselves responsibly and those not. So when the parade ends, he returns (he had noted on a pad the address) for his collar. So like a traffic cop setting a speed trap, he waited on the sidewalk for the unsuspecting to emerge. GOTCHA. At the doorway, about to sit on the top step and lean against the walk on a beautiful day in Boston, my girl is the prey in the snare. Didn't you hear what I said!?! Didn't I give you a warning or more!?! Well now I'm here and there are no more warnings. Cuz I'm now gonna enforce the law and I don't care how much this fine hurts you, you GDFN law violator!
If I sound angry, I am!
This guy targeted our group, spoiled the day, and is taking $200 out of a working girl's pocket. One of the 50 year old fathers said this was the worst parade day he'd experienced.
The same police attitude that led to deaths after red sox and celtics victories was on display again in Southie today.
These guys go out of their way to make trouble. They literally sucked the fun of the day right out of the air around us. Tom Menino,I hope your days are numbered. Where is the tolerance of Kevin White when we need it most. Boston, what has become of you?? Where friends and family cannot gather on their front steps on a beautiful day and raise a glass to St Patrick for all the world to see.

A "drinker's holiday"? Really? Like people don't have an excuse to drink the other 364 days a year?

I do agree the policy seems to have gone overboard, they're going after low hanging fruit, individuals who are less likely to fight the tickets.

"This guy targeted our group, spoiled the day, and is taking $200 out of a working girl's pocket. One of the 50 year old fathers said this was the worst parade day he'd experienced."

This the point, isn't it?

On top of killing business, they tax and fee the bejeesus out of people to live in a place where the weather $ucks and that becomes more of a police state every year and then sock your kid with another $200 that she probably doesn't have after having to pay rent/mortg@ge and onerous taxes on everything from income to eating out at a restaurant and all of the in betweens.

There's got to be a better way. And there is.