Today Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee signed a bill that decriminalizes the possession of an ounce or less of marijuana, making such possession  a violation that comes with a $150 fine instead of a crime that comes with jail time.

Those issued 3 tickets in an 18-month span would be charged with a misdemeanor that could include jail.

I’ve said it many times before, but positive steps are just that, no matter how small they seem. Progress toward keeping cannabis users out of jail is a good thing. One by one, the pillars that prop up marijuana prohibition fall. Every victory leads to continued momentum.

And for those caught with marijuana and charged with a crime, laws like this one – which takes effect next year – are progress indeed. A criminal record can derail a life, affecting future school and employment prospects. Just because they got caught with a small amount of cannabis.

Sometimes progress seems slow, but it is progress nonetheless.

- Joe Klare