Mass. citizens almost certain to decriminalize marijuana

Here's something you don't see every day: Massachusetts residents, according to a poll, are poised in November to vote 72% in favor of decriminalizing marijuana. What this is entails is removing criminal penalties as a punishment for being caught with less than an ounce of pot, and making instead making it a civil matter and fining the possessor $100, in addition to seizing the weed.

A similar measure proposed by Mass. Democrat Rep. Barney Frank and Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul will be put to a vote in the US House of Representatives, but is almost certain to die without much support. Interesting how outcomes differ when you put issues to a direct vote, and when you use elected representatives as a proxy will of the people. Makes you wonder how representative our representative democracy really is.