Bill Introduced To Legalize Small Amounts Of Marijuana

Shandar

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A bill that would decriminalize the possession of an ounce or less of marijuana has been introduced by state Sen. Adam P. Ebbin, D-Alexandria, for the coming General Assembly session.

The effort comes on the heels of legalization in two other states. Ebbin said there have been unsuccessful bills introduced in the Virginia House of Delegates in the past, but that this is the first he is aware of coming from the Senate.

"It would decriminalize simple possession of an ounce or less, but not decriminalize it to the extent done recently in Colorado and Washington state," he said.

"I had requests to do it for a number of years, and I decided this year to go ahead," Ebbin said. "There's about 25 million Americans who smoked marijuana in the past year, and our public policy should start to reflect reality and not deny it."

Edward McCann, policy director for Virginia NORML, which advocates for the legalization of marijuana, said he thinks chances are better than even the bill will get out of the Senate's Courts of Justice committee.

"This is not just a conversation starter; we need to pass this bill," McCann said. "We've been talking to many of the members. ... I think there is general support for the core of the bill, which is removing criminal penalties for people who possess small amounts – even from Republicans."

McCann said that aside from his group, the legislation is supported by the ACLU and the NAACP, among others. "They are much more organized than they were a few years ago," he said.

Ebbin's bill, sponsored in the House by state Del. Kaye Kory, D-Fairfax, would decriminalize simple possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, now punishable by a $500 fine and 30 days in jail, to a maximum $100 civil fine payable to the state literary fund.

Among other things, the bill also would reduce the criminal penalties for distribution and possession with the intent to distribute by creating a presumption that a person who grows no more than six plants would be raising them for personal use.

Additionally, it would soften some laws concerning marijuana paraphernalia and limit the forfeiture of property from the sale or distribution of 1 pound or more of marijuana – currently there is no minimum amount.

According to recent figures from the FBI, police across the country made nearly 700,000 arrests for violations of marijuana laws in 2013, roughly 56,000 fewer than reported in 2012.

That continues a steady decline in arrests for marijuana since 2007, when police made a record 872,721 marijuana arrests, according to NORML.

Virginia State Police figures show that in 2013, there were 24,776 marijuana arrests in the state, the bulk of them for people under the age of 30. A disproportionate number of those arrested were African-American.

"The criminalization of possession of small amounts of marijuana ruins far more lives than it impacts in any kind of positive ways," Ebbin said.

McCann said there are a number of provisions in Ebbin's bill that may give some legislators pause. "But I'm confident that we will get it out of committee," he said.

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News Moderator: Shandar @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch: Richmond VA News, Sports, Politics, Classifieds, Public Notices & Commentary
Author: Frank Green
Contact: 804-649-6000
Website: Bill introduced to legalize small amounts of marijuana - Richmond Times-Dispatch: Virginia Politics
 
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