California makes marijuana possession just an infraction 2010-Oct-02 at 00:31 PDT
Posted by Scott Arbeit in Blog.Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California, marijuana
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I love it when the news conspires with a topic I’ve been talking about.
From California Reduces Its Penalty for Marijuana, by Jesse McKinley, 1-Oct-2010:
A month before California voters decide the fate of a ballot initiative that would legalize marijuana, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a bill that essentially puts those caught possessing small amounts of the drug on the same level as those caught speeding on the freeway.
…
“The only difference is that because it is a misdemeanor, a criminal defendant is entitled to a jury trial,” Mr. Schwarzenegger said in a statement that accompanied his signature. “In this time of drastic budget cuts, prosecutors, defense attorneys, law enforcement and the courts cannot afford to expend limited resources prosecuting a crime that carries the same punishment as a traffic ticket.”
It’s not quite decriminalization, but it’s a step in the right direction, and it’s a model that other states can adopt on their way to eventual decriminalization, and eventually legalization.
The Dawn of the Integral Age 
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