By Whitney A. Taylor

Too often we feel that our vote, our voice, will not create real change in our lives. Fortunately, the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy (CSMP) is working to place an initiative on the November 2008 ballot that will have a direct impact on our communities.

CSMP's initiative will create a civil penalty system for simple personal possession of up to one ounce of marijuana. It would replace the arrest and booking process with a ticket and fine of $100, similar to parking or speeding tickets. The punishment for all other crimes related to marijuana - including sales, trafficking and growing - would stay the same. The measure would keep marijuana illegal, but end the human and financial costs associated with our current criminal penalty system for personal possession of a small amount.

You may ask, "Why would this new law affect me, my family, or my community?" By creating a civil penalty system, this initiative will prevent over 7,500 people per year from receiving a criminal record or "CORI" for simply possessing a small amount of marijuana.

Under current Massachusetts' law, a CORI erects almost endless barriers between a person and future opportunities. It can prevent people from getting a job, securing housing for themselves and their family, receiving professional licenses and obtaining financial loans for housing or a business. Additionally, a CORI for a drug offense creates a ban on loans for college or graduate school &emdash; literally creating a life-long punishment for simple personal possession of an ounce or less of marijuana.

Additionally, the financial costs of our current laws are substantial. According to Harvard economist Jeff Miron, Ph.D., the initiative will save taxpayers over $24.3 million a year in arrest and booking costs alone. This money should stay in local police departments and communities to deal with much more urgent law enforcement needs, including more police officers, equipment or training, and for apprehending violent criminals.

Massachusetts would not be alone in choosing this sensible approach to marijuana policy. To date, 11 other states, including our northeast neighbors of Maine and New York, have instituted policies that "decriminalize" simple possession of marijuana, and have experienced no negative consequences.

Some people may think that such a change would increase rates of marijuana use, but federal government statistics show that use rates in these states are statistically tied with states that still arrest and jail marijuana users. A 2001 National Research Council report, commissioned by the White House, found that that the harshness of sanctions for the personal use of marijuana has little or no effect on use rates by youth or adults.

As Massachusetts voters, we are ready for this initiative: Since 2000, voters in representative and senatorial districts across the Commonwealth have passed 30 non-binding public policy questions supporting the creation of a civil penalty system for simple possession of an ounce or less of marijuana. In fact, these questions passed by an average of 61% of voters in favor of the measure &emdash; a landslide by anyone's definition.

Concerned Massachusetts' taxpayers might ask, "With the significant human and fiscal savings this simple proposal would create - why haven't the politicians passed legislation on this issue?" Many wonderful legislators - including several of our Boston delegates - support the current bill proposed to create a civil penalty system for simple marijuana possession.

In fact, the legislation upon which this initiative is based has languished on Beacon Hill for over a decade. Sadly, there is no reason to believe this will change in the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, politicians often do not pass sound public policy, due to their own political fears and worries about the next election, rather than looking at would be best for the people of Massachusetts.

The initiative process was created in Massachusetts for exactly this reason: When politicians are immobilized by political fears and refuse to make sensible public policy choices, it is time for the voters to act. So I invite all my fellow Bostonians and Massachusetts' voters to support his important initiative proposal and join the effort to create a sensible marijuana policy: SensibleMarijuanaPolicy.org.

We can save our city, as well as all other Massachusetts' communities, millions of dollars every year while ending the creation of thousands of new CORIs - a humane, fiscally responsible, and sensible approach to marijuana policy.

Whitney A. Taylor lives in the North End. She is the campaign manager for Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy, based in Boston.