California Lawmakers Move Towards Decriminalizing Marijuana
While most Californians and the media in recent months have understandably remained focused on The Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 — which seeks to eliminate criminal penalties for the adult personal possession and cultivation of marijuana — state lawmakers in Sacramento have quietly been moving forward on a cannabis liberalization bill of their own.
Senate Bill 1449, which seeks to reduce personal, non-medical marijuana possession penalties from a criminal misdemeanor to an infraction, is now only one vote away from heading to Gov. Schwarzenegger’s desk.
On Wednesday, members of the California Assembly Committee on Public Safety voted 4 to 1 to send the measure to the Assembly floor. (Senate lawmakers had previously voted 21 to 13 in favor of the bill.) Once the full Assembly acts, the measure will go before the Governor for his signature.
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, Senate Bill 1449 would spare possession offenders time in court or the risk of a criminal record. Instead, they would simply pay a fine.
More information about S.B. 1449 is available from California NORML, and from NORML’s ‘Take Action Center’ here.
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The general public doesn't have a mind to set. So why worry about the masses. Legalize drugs , tax it, and that will end every drug dealers business.
What happened when they legalized alcohol ? The back wood stills went out of business, and all the boot-leggers had to find a new occupation. There was no more profit in running liquor across State lines.
The same thing will happen to drugs . The Mexico Drug Mafia will be out of business. The Afghanistan Poppy business will suffer, and they won't be able to pay for as many terrorist to protect their drug business. The American drug dealers will have to find a new way to make an easy buck.
I wonder how this will affect the rest of the US if this passes. Any clues as to how this will or will not affect the masses mind-set?
Cannabis is decriminalized in 11 states. Including California.
Generally the states that have decriminalized it have lower consumption rates that their neighboring states with more severe penalties.
Hopefully more states will follow this example.