Testimony at Tuesday’s House Judiciary Committee hearing overwhelmingly favored legalization of the recreational use of marijuana on grounds that it would economically benefit the state and that its prohibition has been an abject failure.

Ten bills relating to marijuana, in either a regulatory or medical capacity, were heard at Tuesday’s meeting. All the bills were held for further study before any testimony was heard.

Rep. Scott Slater (D-District 10), who also sponsored several other bills heard on Tuesday, said prohibition is a “disastrous” policy and no longer makes sense in our current society. He pointed to the successes Colorado has seen since legalizing marijuana, including a decrease in black market, economic development and job creation as well as an increase in tax revenue. Slater forewarned that if Massachusetts legalizes marijuana before Rhode Island, the state would lose the opportunity for millions of dollars in revenue.

“We need to move forward on this,” he said. “We have a chance to be a leader in New England. The longer we wait the longer we allow the illegal market to thrive.”

Those who spoke in opposition to the bill had concerns about the impact on youth, law enforcement and questioned whether or not it would have any effect on the black market.

Chief David Palmer from the Hopkinton Police Department, as a representative of the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association, argued that the state could see an increase in accidents involving impaired drivers. Without a similar tool as a breathalyzer, law enforcement wouldn’t have the tools to distinguish or test individuals who may be under the influence of marijuana.

“It would be harder to keep people safe,” he said. “There is no closing the door once it’s open.”

Similarly, Joe Lindbeck from the Attorney General’s office, who also spoke in opposition, argued legalizing marijuana wouldn’t decrease the black market.

“People will always go where it’s cheaper,” she said. “Yes, we would be creating an entire new industry, but the implication of that could be dangerous.”

Jared Moffat, director of Regulate RI, disagreed, noting that prohibition, just as it did with alcohol, is only “empowering crime.” He claims that in not regulating marijuana we are only continuing to “funnel” money into the hands of modern day Al Capones, helping to fund organized crime in other illegal activities.

He said the most dangerous thing about marijuana is that it is illegal, getting users caught up in the penal system or being exposed to additional unknown substances from an unregulated, untested product.

Advocates for the bill including Jim Vincent, president of the Providence branch of the NAACP, and Professor Andrew Horwitz, Assistant Dean of Roger Williams University School of Law, argued that legalization is a social justice issue as poor and minority communities are disproportionately reprimanded for marijuana possession. Vincent noted there are no disparities across races in terms of use and yet, since decriminalization in 2013, minorities are more than three times as likely to receive a punishment for a marijuana arrest.

Horwitz said, “We have exhausted so much money on enforcing marijuana prohibition, but is not helping curb use but just wreaks havoc on poor and minority communities.”

“This is ruining lives when it shouldn’t,” Vincent said. “Prohibition is not working.”

For advocates there is also a sense of urgency as they see Rhode Island is in a race to beat Massachusetts to legalization. Moffat explained that should Massachusetts vote in favor, stores would be able to open in January of 2018. He said Rhode Island could significantly see additional tax revenue due to the economic theory of “first mover advantage,” in which the state to adopt a new industry first sees a larger share of the profits and benefits within that industry.

“This would give us the advantage over the rest of the regions,” Moffat said. “That means more jobs for our citizens and more tax revenue for our state.”

Linbeck still feared that should the state legalize marijuana it would be “setting up our children for failure,” seeing as Rhode Island already has one of the country’s highest teen use rates for marijuana use.” Moffat, as well as Horwitz, believe that only further proves prohibition has failed Rhode Island.

“Ask any high schooler,” Moffat said, “and marijuana is one of the easiest things to get, even easier than alcohol and cigarettes.”

Horwitz believes youth marijuana use would most likely decline in the years following legalization. He said with regulation, a decrease in the black market, it is easier to oversee youth use. Similarly, he said currently we talk about marijuana publicly as if it is on the same level as heroin, when it “obviously” isn’t.

“Kids see right through that,” Horwitz said. “If we legalize we can start having an honest conversation with our children and better educate our youth on marijuana.”

Horwitz noted that over the last few decades the country has seen a significant and steady decline in youth use of cigarettes and alcohol, which he believes comes from the proper regulation of those substances. Therefore, should Rhode Island move forward with regulation he would expect to see youth marijuana use decline.