Calif. Senate Could Reduce Marijuana Possession to Infraction
Legislation recently introduced in the California Senate seeks to reduce adult marijuana possession penalties from a misdemeanor to an infraction.
Senate Bill 1449 has been referred to the Senate Committee on Public Safety. The Committee is planning on holding its first hearing on the measure in mid-April.
Under current law, marijuana possession has a unique status in California law as the only misdemeanor that is not punishable by arrest or jail time. However, offenders must still appear in court, pay a fine ($100), and pay court costs (approximately $200). In addition, defendants who wish to avoid a criminal record must attend a court-ordered diversion program. Defendants who do not attend such a program are saddled with a criminal record for at least two years following their conviction.
By making possession an infraction, the bill would spare possession offenders time in court, related court costs, or the risk of a criminal record. Instead, they would simply pay a fine. (Note: As introduced, the fine is proposed to be $250. California NORML maintains that this fine is too expensive and has assurances from the sponsor that the proposed fine will be amended to $100.)
More information about S.B. 1449 is available from California NORML.
Please take two minutes of your time today to write your state senator and urge him or her to support reducing marijuana possession penalties. For your convenience, pre-written letters will be e-mailed to your member of the Senate when you enter your contact information below.
Thank you for supporting NORML’s marijuana law reform efforts in California.
Send your email:
California Senate To Debate Measure Reducing Marijuana Possession To An Infraction
Sign up for the OV Daily Newsletter
Sign-Up Now for the Opposing Views Daily Newsletter
Sign up for the OV Daily Newsletter
http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/143427-mex-mexico-bristles-some-u-s-states-relax-marijuana-laws.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed %3A+Marijuana_Headline_News+%28Marijuana.com+-+Headline+News%29
Excerpt:
“MEXICO CITY — As more U.S. states permit medical marijuana , and California considers legalizing cannabis sales to adults, Mexico is voicing irritation at the gap between drug laws north and south of the border and saying it undercuts the battle against Mexico’s violent drug cartels. Mexico Secretary of the Interior Fernando Gomez Mont said last week the U.S. medical marijuana trend was “worrisome” and “complicates in a grave way” efforts to resolve Mexico’s soaring drug-related violence .
The issue came to the fore earlier this week when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton led a high-level U.S. delegation to Mexico to discuss counter-drug strategies.Clinton said law enforcement authorities are keeping close tabs on medical marijuana dispensaries in the 14 states where such sales are permitted. She added that she doesn’t believe that the rising number of states that allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes was a major factor in marijuana flows into the U.S. from Mexico .
“We have not changed our laws , and we do not see this as a major contributor to the continuing flow of marijuana, the vast, vast majority of which is used for recreational purposes,” Clinton said.”
Since we all know that the legalization of marijuana would harm the cartels ability to buy guns and soldiers,why would the Mexican government not want us to legalize,unless they want the market to stay intact and remove the cartels from control,so they can take over the market?
And our government is helping them to do that.
I wondered why Calderon would want the black market closed down when it would devastate his countries economy ,but that is not what they want,they just want control of it.