nothin Lawmakers Lighten Up On Marijuana | New Haven Independent

Lawmakers Lighten Up

Party lines seemed of little relevance in a 90 – 57 vote as the House gave final passage to a bill that will decriminalize small amounts of marijuana. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle weighed questions like what message the bill sends to children and what role the government should have the life choices of its citizenry.

The bill will make possession of less than a half ounce of marijuana a violation rather than an arrestable crime. People cited for possessing cannabis would be fined $150 for the first offense and between $200 and $500 for the second.

Under the measure minors caught possessing the substance would automatically be referred to the juvenile court system, where they would have to appear with their parents. People under 21 caught in possession of marijuana would automatically have their driver’s licenses revoked for 150 days.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy hailed the passage of the bill, which had already passed the Senate.

Final approval of this legislation accepts the reality that the current law does more harm than good — both in the impact it has on people’s lives and the burden it places on police, prosecutors and probation officers of the criminal justice system,” Malloy stated in a release from his office.

Let me make it clear — we are not legalizing the use of marijuana. In modifying this law, we are recognizing that the punishment should fit the crime, and acknowledging the effects of its application. There is no question that the state’s criminal justice resources could be more effectively utilized for convicting, incarcerating and supervising violent and more serious offenders.”

New Haven State Rep. Gary Holder-Winfield also supported the measure.

People in the communities are asking when we’re going to deal with this issue,” he said.

Thousands of people are arrested every year for possession of marijuana but only around 20 are actually in prison strictly for that crime, he said. What is the point of spending money arresting and prosecuting thousands of people when they’re not actually going to prison, he said.

Click here to read a full report on the debate in the state House Tuesday, and how it presented philosophical challenges that crossed party boundaries.

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