Maryland Senate Votes to Decriminalize Possession of Small Amounts of Marijuana

Bill is now headed to the House of Delegates

The Maryland State Senate yesterday voted todecriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana, writes the Examiner.

With a 30-16 vote, a bill that would drop the fine for possession of up to 10 grams of marijuana down to a $100 fine moves to the House of Delegates, where it faces an uncertain future. Existing law puts the penalty at a $500 fine and a possible jail term of 90 days. Maryland legislators are also debating a bill that would allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes; in 2011 they passed a bill allowing for an affirmative defense based on medical need.

Comments

[davethesuave]

"...moves to the House of Delegates, where it faces an uncertain future."
I'll say. The Judiciary Committee is run by a old-school pol named Joe Valleria (sp?). He's been quoted thus "I think it sends a bad message to the kids". What a dope. But here in the Free Republic of Maryland, which skews about 8-1 Democrat, old Joe is unmovable. He's been known to pocket veto bills he doesn't like for YEARS. So it's very much debatable what'll happen.
This is obviously a separate issue from the fact cannabis should be totally & completely legal to use by consenting adults in a responsible manner.