Pubdate: Thu, 19 Feb 2015
Source: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (AK)
Copyright: 2015 Fairbanks Publishing Company, Inc.
Contact:  http://newsminer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/764
Author: Matt Buxton

SENATE DISCUSSES POT POSSESSION RULES FOR MINORS

JUNEAU - With a wide variety of issues to consider with the impending 
legalization of marijuana, lawmakers are looking for ways to hold 
minors accountable without leaving an opportunity-limiting charge on 
their record.

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday discussed 
options that would penalize minors for underage possession or 
consumption marijuana, creating an opportunity to get educational or 
diversion classes, without creating a permanent public record of the crime.

The concern with crafting the minor in possession of marijuana crime 
is that minors will be left with a lasting public record that's 
easily searchable online through the state criminal records database CourtView.

Many advocates and lawmakers like Sen. Bill Wielechowski, 
D-Anchorage, said they felt like criminal records can create a 
lifelong hurdle for minors that can be trouble for finding a job.

"I think it's important to hold kids accountable when they make 
mistakes, but what you're doing by keeping it on CourtView for the 
rest of their lives is holding them accountable for the rest of their 
lives," he said. "It's so much more than a slap on their wrist. It's 
going to follow them for the rest of their lives."

Ballot Measure 2 will go into effect on Feb. 24, allowing people 21 
and older to possess and transport up to one ounce of marijuana 
outside their home. Lawmakers had hoped to fast-track Senate Bill 30 
to clarify gray areas between the initiative and existing criminal law.

The current version of the bill aims to make all criminal proceedings 
for minor consuming or possessing marijuana confidential, but the 
practicality of that move is unclear.

Added to that is the concern of some lawmakers like North Pole Sen. 
John Coghill that putting a blanket of confidentiality over minors 
wouldn't hold them accountable for their actions.

Coghill offered an amendment that would have removed the 
confidentiality measure altogether, arguing that minor in possession 
of alcohol charges aren't kept confidential.

"I lean toward holding them accountable," he said. "The way the 
nation is viewing both marijuana and alcohol, the accountability to 
me is very important."

However, that soon could change as the state is going through a 
massive overhaul of its laws pertaining to alcohol.

Diane Casto, the manager of the state Prevention & Early Intervention 
program, spoke to the committee about current efforts to rewrite 
alcohol laws. She said the same desire to hold minors accountable for 
underage consumption without creating a lifelong public record of the 
infraction is developing there.

"The didn't want this to be on their permanent record," she said. "We 
want them to have consequences; we want to get their attention; we 
want them to get the early intervention they need if they truly have 
an alcohol or marijuana problem."

She said the exact measure hasn't been settled, but she said the 
group is leaning toward putting cases on CourtView until the minor 
has satisfactorily resolved the issue through either paying a fine, 
appearing in court or going through a diversionary course.

Judiciary chairwoman Sen. Lesil McGuire, R-Anchorage, said she thinks 
applying a similar measure to marijuana would be a good compromise 
between the desire to hold minors accountable while allowing them to 
not make life-changing mistakes.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hear amendments to the bill on 
Friday, including one dealing with minors, public places and 
marijuana concentrates.

As for the progress on the overall bill, Senate Bill 30 had been 
intended to get into law before Feb. 24, but McGuire said the 
Legislature will miss that date. She said the bill could get out of 
the Legislature by the end of the month.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom