Isn’t this the way things work? I just wrote about legalizing marijuana in yesterday’s blog, and today, while reading through various news aggregate websites, I find an article by the Associated Press about the very same topic, basically confirming what many of you already have told me.

Seems the topic is in the news as Rhode Island is poised to become the 15th state to decriminalize marijuana possession. The piece by the AP cited the softening of public opinion on the drug. And the numbers of the poll running on this blog would bear that out, as the overwhelming majority of you who have voted, agree.

In addition, a Gallup Poll conducted last year showed that for the first time, 50 percent of those surveyed agreed with the decriminalization of pot.

Rhode Island’s General Assembly passed legislation last week that would eliminate the threat of big fines or even jail time for the possession of an ounce or less of pot. “Instead, adults caught with small amounts of marijuana would face a $150 civil fine. Police would confiscate the marijuana, but the incident would not appear on a person’s criminal record.”

Just last week, New York’s governor proposed rolling back penalties on possession of the drug, and Massachusetts and Connecticut, both nearby states, now have legalized medical marijuana.