Decriminalization Bill Moves Forward In California
Joe | Jun 25, 2010 | Comments 0
Under the radar ox Tax Cannabis CA 2010, California lawmakers are close to sending a bill to the Governor’s desk decriminalizing marijuana possession.
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.
This is only the second time that I’ve ran across mention of this bill in the news, meaning it’s flying very far under the radar. Hopefully we can change that. I realize the main battle is with marijuana legalization on the ballot in November, but if you live in CA you should also contact your reps and Governor Schwarzenegger and let them know you favor this bill. Anything that reduces penalties for marijuana is a good thing.
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.
It’s true that decriminalization becomes a moot point if legalization passes, but it never hurts to have a back-up plan. If Tax Cannabis CA 2010 doesn’t pass for some reason, at least CA marijuana users will be better off than they are now.
Filed Under: Exclusive Web Content • Politics
