Pubdate: Sat, 15 Mar 2014
Source: Baltimore Sun (MD)
Copyright: 2014 The Baltimore Sun Company
Contact:  http://www.baltimoresun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/37
Author: Timothy B. Wheeler
Page: 8

MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZATION BILL CLEARS SENATE, NOW GOES TO HOUSE

Possession of small amounts of marijuana would be treated as a civil
offense rather than a crime under a bill that passed the Senate on
Friday.

The vote was 36-8. The measure now goes to the House of Delegates,
where similar legislation failed to get out of committee last year.

Under the bill, anyone caught with 10 grams or less of the drug would
be issued a civil citation and fined up to $100. Juveniles would be
required to appear in court and could be ordered into drug treatment,
as could adults receiving their third citation.

Proponents argued that recreational marijuana use should be
decriminalized to shield those who are caught from a record that could
cost them jobs or get them kicked out of school. Nearly 20,000
Marylanders were charged last year, and 3,000 fined or jailed,
according to Sen. Robert A. "Bobby" Zirkin, a Baltimore County
Democrat who cosponsored the bill with Sen. Allan H. Kittleman, a
Howard County Republican.

Sen. Bryan W. Simonaire, an Anne Arundel County Republican, opposed
decriminalization, arguing that "just say no" was a better approach to
drug usage. He warned that teenagers would be encouraged to use
marijuana because the penalty would be a fraction of what they could
get for underage alcohol consumption.

Zirkin argued there's no evidence from the 18 states that have
decriminalized marijuana that it leads to increased drug use.

"The war on drugs is not working," said Sen. Christopher B. Shank, a
Washington County Republican, who cited racial disparity in how the
current law is enforced. He said treating marijuana use as a crime is
a waste of resources that could be better spent on more serious crimes
and on providing treatment to those who need it.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt