Efforts to legalize marijuana have swept the country, with about half of the states permitting recreational or medicinal use of the drug. In the past two years, voters approved measures in Washington, Colorado, Oregon and Alaska.
Across the Potomac River, voters in Washington, D.C., approved a plan to legalize possession of small quantities of the drug by a two-to-one margin.
On this side of the river, simple possession of marijuana remains a criminal offense punishable by up to a $500 fine and as many as 30 days in jail.
Worse, the criminal charge lands on the permanent record of a person caught with a drug that more than 40 percent of Americans ages 12 and older have used at least once, as reported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
A legislative proposal by two Northern Virginia lawmakers would change that. The measure, SB 686, would decriminalize possession of marijuana but stop short of blessing its legalization.
Instead, it prescribes a $100 civil penalty, which would be paid to the state's Literary Fund, for possession, and provides a presumption that a person who grows as many as six marijuana plants does so for personal use. Authorities could force the forfeiture of property for sale or distribution of marijuana only if the quantity is greater than a pound.
Poll after poll of public opinion has shown a majority of Americans favor legalizing marijuana; last month, Gallup released another survey that pegged support at 51 percent nationwide.
In Colorado, where officials have developed a robust regulatory system and largely avoided the parade of horribles posed by opponents, more than $7 million in additional revenue is pouring into state coffers each month to support public services.
Meanwhile, the factions that operate on the black market and drive drug-related violence are witnessing their influence dwindle. National Public Radio reported this month that legal marijuana growers in the U.S. are undercutting the power of Mexican cartels.
The proposal from Virginia state Sen. Adam Ebbin and co-patroned by Del. Kaye Kory stakes out middle ground that should draw support from opponents and supporters of marijuana legalization.
Lawmakers should take the opportunity to break from an unpopular, counterproductive criminal prohibition and approve the bill.
News Moderator: Shandar @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: HamptonRoads.com: Entertainment and Guides for Hampton Roads, Va.
Authors: Editorial Board Members: Pat Richardson, Donald Luzzatto, Candy Hatcher and Shawn Day
Contact: HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com : Contact us
Website: Toward rational marijuana policy | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
Across the Potomac River, voters in Washington, D.C., approved a plan to legalize possession of small quantities of the drug by a two-to-one margin.
On this side of the river, simple possession of marijuana remains a criminal offense punishable by up to a $500 fine and as many as 30 days in jail.
Worse, the criminal charge lands on the permanent record of a person caught with a drug that more than 40 percent of Americans ages 12 and older have used at least once, as reported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
A legislative proposal by two Northern Virginia lawmakers would change that. The measure, SB 686, would decriminalize possession of marijuana but stop short of blessing its legalization.
Instead, it prescribes a $100 civil penalty, which would be paid to the state's Literary Fund, for possession, and provides a presumption that a person who grows as many as six marijuana plants does so for personal use. Authorities could force the forfeiture of property for sale or distribution of marijuana only if the quantity is greater than a pound.
Poll after poll of public opinion has shown a majority of Americans favor legalizing marijuana; last month, Gallup released another survey that pegged support at 51 percent nationwide.
In Colorado, where officials have developed a robust regulatory system and largely avoided the parade of horribles posed by opponents, more than $7 million in additional revenue is pouring into state coffers each month to support public services.
Meanwhile, the factions that operate on the black market and drive drug-related violence are witnessing their influence dwindle. National Public Radio reported this month that legal marijuana growers in the U.S. are undercutting the power of Mexican cartels.
The proposal from Virginia state Sen. Adam Ebbin and co-patroned by Del. Kaye Kory stakes out middle ground that should draw support from opponents and supporters of marijuana legalization.
Lawmakers should take the opportunity to break from an unpopular, counterproductive criminal prohibition and approve the bill.
News Moderator: Shandar @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: HamptonRoads.com: Entertainment and Guides for Hampton Roads, Va.
Authors: Editorial Board Members: Pat Richardson, Donald Luzzatto, Candy Hatcher and Shawn Day
Contact: HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com : Contact us
Website: Toward rational marijuana policy | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
