Philadelphia City Council Votes to Decriminalize Marijuana
Source: Philadelphia Magazine
You can breathe a little easier today, stoners, and not just because you probably are into vaping now. Philadelphia City Council voted today to decriminalize the possession of up to an ounce of weed. Even the heaviest stoners rarely buy more than an ounce at a time, so this bill is good news for Philadelphia potheads from the casual smoker to the wake-and-bake stoner.
The bill was first introduced by Councilman Jim Kenney in May. Under Kenneys bill, Philadelphians caught with up to an ounce (30 grams) of marijuana would not be arrested. After they paid a $25 fine, theyd have the charge expunged from their record. (Presumably, their weed would also be confiscated.) Since June 2010, Philadelphia has treated possession of up to an ounce of weed as a summary offense punishable with a $200 fine and a three-hour class on drug abuse.
"After discussions with Philadelphias criminal justice stakeholders, my requests to end mandatory custodial arrests i.e. handcuffs and a night in jail were deemed an 'administrative burden' on our courts and police, Kenney told NBC10.com in May. Public officials shouldnt be worried about administrative burdens when our inaction is senselessly burdening over 4,000 people with life-changing criminal records each year.
Two Republican members of City Council, Dennis OBrien and David Oh, spoke out against the bill. O'Brien suggested the law could eventually lead to assaults on police officers.
Read more: http://www.phillymag.com/news/2014/06/19/philadelphia-city-council-votes-decriminalize-marijuana
Mayor Nutter recently signed a bill that prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to minors and ban vaping in Philadelphia workplaces, bars, restaurants, and other public spaces.
I supported the vaping bill, but also support the decriminalization bill. Do what you want, but not in my personal space.
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)GoneOffShore
(17,309 posts)Making assertions without facts.
Time to get marijuana laws off the books.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)Truly 'tis said, "Cops have the best dope."
Uncle Joe
(58,112 posts)Thanks for the thread, onehandle.
Ed Suspicious
(8,879 posts)It's REEFER MAAADDDNESSSSS!!!!
Stryst
(714 posts)28.3495 grams
So you can have an ounce in the bag and a bone already rolled.
TeamPooka
(24,155 posts)JackInGreen
(2,975 posts)and smoke a bowl with my friends in philly!
Load em up, lets burn.