“Time and time again, local lawmakers in marijuana prohibition states are advancing these common sense decriminalization measures when state legislators refuse to take action. Minor marijuana possession offenders, many of them young people, should not be saddled with an arrest, a criminal record, and with the lifelong penalties and stigma associated with it.”
The ordinance, which took immediate effect, amends county code so that the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana is reduced to a civil violation punishable by no more than a $150 fine.
“Texas voters, like most Americans, do not want cannabis consumers arrested or jailed. Unfortunately, Texas officials would rather cancel their own voters than abide by the will of the people and move forward with smart and sensible cannabis policies.”
Thirty-two Senate Republicans and one Democrat voted against the bill, which would have reduced penalties involving the possession of up to one-half ounce of cannabis to a noncriminal infraction.
“The ongoing criminalization of marijuana is a terribly destructive policy that adversely impacts thousands of North Dakotans annually. Minor marijuana possession offenders should not be saddled with an arrest, a criminal record, and with the lifelong penalties and stigma associated with it.”
“Marijuana-related prosecutions remain the primary driver of drug war enforcement in those states where marijuana-related activities remain criminalized. It is shameful that hundreds of thousands of Americans continue to be arrested annually in these jurisdictions for cannabis-related violations that the majority of voters no longer believe should be a crime.”
“In jurisdictions where state lawmakers remain resistant to repealing outdated and overly punitive marijuana possession laws, petitioning for these sort of local changes is a viable way to provide immediate relief to thousands of consumers who would otherwise face potentially life-altering repercussions resulting from a marijuana arrest and criminal record.”
“State law already recognizes that no one should be in jail for possessing small amounts of marijuana; this new law similarly recognizes that no one should be in jail for possessing marijuana paraphernalia.”