Jacob Bell
New Member
A bill that would decriminalize marijuana has made its way to the Senate.
If passed, it would mean anyone caught with less than a half an ounce of marijuana would face a penalty similar to a traffic ticket instead of a criminal charge.
The idea is meeting strong resistance in the Senate among Republicans and a handful of Democrats.
"The idea that we would decriminalize marijuana is one of the worst ideas I've heard in my 13 years in the state Senate," Republican Senate Minority Leader John McKinney said.
Massachusetts passed a decriminalization measure in 2008 when voters gave the approval through a ballot measure instead of the bill being passed through the Legislature, as is the case in Connecticut. Some law enforcement officials in Massachusetts said the law was written in a way that has created serious problems in how they can deal with offenders.
Michael Lawlor, a former State Representative, and prosecutor now serves in the Office of Policy and Management under the Malloy administration. He is responsible for crafting the bill making its way through the Legislature. He said they have learned from what has and what has not worked in other states.
"We could simply cut to the chase. If you get caught, you could pay a $100 fine plus fees and costs. If you're a kid, the penalties are much more severe. If you're under 21, you're going to lose your driver's license for 60 days," Lawlor said.
He also said there is potential for cost savings by freeing up resources tied up in long, drawn out prosecutions of low-level marijuana possession cases. Lawlor said those often include several court appearances, tying up the time of police officers, judges, prosecutors, parole officers and in some cases public defenders. In many instances, after all that effort, these cases are often dismissed, he said.
According to a recent Quinnipiac University Poll, 65 percent of Connecticut voters favor decriminalizing marijuana, while 32 percent oppose the measure.
News Hawk- Jacob Ebel 420 MAGAZINE
Source: nbcconnecticut.com
Contact: Contact Us
Copyright: NBCUniversal, Inc.
Website: Marijuana Decriminalization Bill in Senate
If passed, it would mean anyone caught with less than a half an ounce of marijuana would face a penalty similar to a traffic ticket instead of a criminal charge.
The idea is meeting strong resistance in the Senate among Republicans and a handful of Democrats.
"The idea that we would decriminalize marijuana is one of the worst ideas I've heard in my 13 years in the state Senate," Republican Senate Minority Leader John McKinney said.
Massachusetts passed a decriminalization measure in 2008 when voters gave the approval through a ballot measure instead of the bill being passed through the Legislature, as is the case in Connecticut. Some law enforcement officials in Massachusetts said the law was written in a way that has created serious problems in how they can deal with offenders.
Michael Lawlor, a former State Representative, and prosecutor now serves in the Office of Policy and Management under the Malloy administration. He is responsible for crafting the bill making its way through the Legislature. He said they have learned from what has and what has not worked in other states.
"We could simply cut to the chase. If you get caught, you could pay a $100 fine plus fees and costs. If you're a kid, the penalties are much more severe. If you're under 21, you're going to lose your driver's license for 60 days," Lawlor said.
He also said there is potential for cost savings by freeing up resources tied up in long, drawn out prosecutions of low-level marijuana possession cases. Lawlor said those often include several court appearances, tying up the time of police officers, judges, prosecutors, parole officers and in some cases public defenders. In many instances, after all that effort, these cases are often dismissed, he said.
According to a recent Quinnipiac University Poll, 65 percent of Connecticut voters favor decriminalizing marijuana, while 32 percent oppose the measure.
News Hawk- Jacob Ebel 420 MAGAZINE
Source: nbcconnecticut.com
Contact: Contact Us
Copyright: NBCUniversal, Inc.
Website: Marijuana Decriminalization Bill in Senate
