Most Severe in Florida, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Virginia; Sanctions Can Exceed Those for Murder

DAVIS, CALIFORNIA — Marijuana offenses, even those considered minor in many states, carry punishments that go far beyond whatever fines or jail sentences the court imposes, in some cases literally lasting a lifetime and more severe than the sanctions imposed on violent criminals, according to a new study released today.

The report, by attorney Richard Glen Boire of the Center for Cognitive Liberty and Ethics, is the first to systematically analyze these "collateral sanctions" and rank the states by their severity. The issue is getting attention from officials: A story in the June 24 Newark, New Jersey, Star-Ledger described Mayor Cory Booker as incensed about laws that keep people with minor drug convictions from having a driver's license or getting many types of jobs, saying, "The drug war is causing crime. It's just chewing up young black men."

The report is available at http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/rpts/col_sanctions.htm . Among the key findings:

**Sanctions triggered by a marijuana conviction can include loss of access to food stamps, public housing, and student financial aid, as well as driver's license suspensions, loss of or ineligibility for professional licenses, other barriers to employment or promotion, and bars to adoption, voting or jury service.

**States vary greatly in severity of these sanctions, with the most severe punishments in Florida, Delaware, Alabama, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Virginia, and Utah.

**Sanctions triggered by felony marijuana convictions can be more severe than those for a violent crime – and a felony can be as little as growing one marijuana plant or possessing over 20 grams of marijuana.

**These sanctions come from a disconnected patchwork of laws. They are not imposed directly by the judge and are not calibrated to the facts of an individual case. While judges are required to inform defendants of the direct consequences of a plea, they are not required to inform defendants of these additional punishments.

With more than 23,000 members and 100,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit www.MarijuanaPolicy.org.