Pubdate: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 Source: Los Angeles Times (CA) Copyright: 2014 Los Angeles Times Contact: http://www.latimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248 BILL TO REDUCE PENALTIES ON POT Philadelphia's City Council is expected to pass a bill decriminalizing marijuana next week after a review of drug arrests showed city police were overwhelmingly targeting black men and women when enforcing marijuana laws, city officials said. Mayor Michael Nutter and City Councilman James Kenney announced the agreement to decriminalize marijuana. Once signed by Nutter, the measure will take effect Oct. 20. "This bill will not legalize marijuana. Rather, it will decriminalize marijuana - which means that offenses involving small amounts of marijuana will result in a civil penalty, not an arrest or criminal record," Nutter said in a statement. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom