as you all sit here and argue, it flies right over your head, .........................
Governor signs bill to downgrade pot possession to an infraction
Posted at 12:23 AM on Sunday, Oct. 03, 2010
By Peter Hecht - [email protected]
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Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation reducing the crime of possession of an ounce of marijuana to an infraction from a misdemeanor.
The action hands a victory to marijuana advocates weeks before November's statewide vote on whether to legalize pot for recreational use.
Senate Bill 1449 by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, does not reduce penalties since misdemeanor possession of less than an ounce was already punishable as an infraction under state law. Offenders faced fines of $100.
Still, marijuana advocates say, by removing the misdemeanor tag, the bill will significantly reduce the number of cases in California courts.
The law will take effect Jan. 1, meaning it may be superseded – at least for Californians over age 21 – by the November legalization measure.
Call Peter Hecht, Bee Capitol Bureau, (916) 326-5539.
Some law enforcement lobbyists fought the bill, arguing that judges would no longer be able to reduce punishment in exchange for defendants entering drug treatment.
Dr. Paul Chabot, founder of the Coalition for a Drug Free California, also protested the signing, saying: "This sends the wrong message to kids and communities."
Schwarzenegger said he signed Leno's bill because "possession of less than an ounce of marijuana is infraction in everything but name."
Yet Schwarzenegger has said that he strongly opposes Proposition 19, which would legalize marijuana for recreational use for residents over 21, allow small residential cultivation and permit local taxation of retail pot sales.
"Unfortunately, Proposition 19 is a deeply flawed measure … that will adversely impact California's businesses without bringing in the tax revenues to the state promised by its proponents," the governor said in his bill-signing statement.
Read more: http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/10/03/2102734/governor-signs-bill-to-downgrade.html#ixzz11gw3Ih7V
By Peter Hecht - [email protected]
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Having 1 ounce of pot now like a speeding ticket
Possessing up to an ounce of marijuana in California is now no more serious than getting a speeding ticket.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a law late Thursday that reduces possession of an ounce or less from a misdemeanor to an infraction, with a maximum punishment of a $100 fine.
Even as a misdemeanor, possession of up to an ounce of pot was still punishable only by a $100 fine and no jail time. But offenders also faced arrest, a possible court appearance and a criminal record. - Small-time pot possession in Calif no longer crime
Small-time pot possession in Calif no longer crime
Possessing up to an ounce of marijuana in California is now no more serious than getting a speeding ticket.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill late Thursday that reduces possession of an ounce or less of marijuana from a misdemeanor to an infraction.
The maximum punishment is a $100 fine. - Pot possession in Calif. now like speeding ticket
Pot possession in Calif. now like speeding ticket
A new law makes possessing up to an ounce of marijuana in California no more serious than getting a speeding ticket - a development both sides battling over a marijuana legalization ballot measure hope to exploit with the vote just a month away.
The law signed late Thursday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger reduces possession of an ounce or less of pot from a misdemeanor to an infraction with a maximum punishment of a $100 fine.
Even as a misdemeanor, possession of up to an ounce was still punishable only by a $100 fine and no jail time. But offenders also faced arrest, a possible court appearance and a criminal record. - Pot poll finds weed has grown on California
Pot poll finds weed has grown on California
John Wade, 43, a San Francisco commercial lighting specialist, takes a quick hit from a marijuana cigarette on the golf course to steady himself before putting.
Sarika Simmons, 35, of San Diego County, sometimes unwinds after the kids are asleep with tokes from a fruit-flavored cigar filled with pot.
And retiree Robert Girvetz, 78, of San Juan Capistrano, recently started anew -- replacing his occasional martini with marijuana. - Calif measure shows state's conflicted link to pot
Calif measure shows state's conflicted link to pot
California has a long history of defying conventional wisdom on the issue of marijuana, including its embrace of the drug in the 1960s and its landmark medical pot law 14 years ago. So it may not be all that surprising that a November ballot measure to legalize the drug has created some odd alliances and scenarios.
Pot growers have opposed it. Some police have favored it. Polls show the public is deeply divided. Only politicians have lined up as expected: Nearly all major party candidates oppose the measure. And hanging over the whole debate is the fact that marijuana remains illegal under federal law.
As the Nov. 2 election nears, Proposition 19 has become about much more than the pros and cons of the drug itself. The campaigns have framed the vote as a referendum on everything from jobs and taxes to crime and the environment.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation reducing the crime of possession of an ounce of marijuana to an infraction from a misdemeanor.
The action hands a victory to marijuana advocates weeks before November's statewide vote on whether to legalize pot for recreational use.
Senate Bill 1449 by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, does not reduce penalties since misdemeanor possession of less than an ounce was already punishable as an infraction under state law. Offenders faced fines of $100.
Still, marijuana advocates say, by removing the misdemeanor tag, the bill will significantly reduce the number of cases in California courts.
The law will take effect Jan. 1, meaning it may be superseded – at least for Californians over age 21 – by the November legalization measure.
Call Peter Hecht, Bee Capitol Bureau, (916) 326-5539.
Some law enforcement lobbyists fought the bill, arguing that judges would no longer be able to reduce punishment in exchange for defendants entering drug treatment.
Dr. Paul Chabot, founder of the Coalition for a Drug Free California, also protested the signing, saying: "This sends the wrong message to kids and communities."
Schwarzenegger said he signed Leno's bill because "possession of less than an ounce of marijuana is infraction in everything but name."
Yet Schwarzenegger has said that he strongly opposes Proposition 19, which would legalize marijuana for recreational use for residents over 21, allow small residential cultivation and permit local taxation of retail pot sales.
"Unfortunately, Proposition 19 is a deeply flawed measure … that will adversely impact California's businesses without bringing in the tax revenues to the state promised by its proponents," the governor said in his bill-signing statement.
Read more: http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/10/03/2102734/governor-signs-bill-to-downgrade.html#ixzz11gw3Ih7V
