A bill to decriminalize the possession of 40 grams or less of pot is making its way through the State Legislature. SB5615 moved out of the Senate Committee on Judiciary with a do pass recommendation. There is a similar bill in the House.
If passed, possession of marijuana would be reclassified as a class 2 civil infraction punishable by payment of a $100 fine. Currently a person found guilty of marijuana possession is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a maximum 90 days in jail and $1,000 fine, or both.
Former President Jimmy Carter is a strong advocate for marijuana reform declaring, “Penalties against drug use should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself.
“Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against the possession of marijuana in private for personal use.”
Washington State’s American Civil Liberties Union is pushing for a serious conversation on the issue, stating:
“Washington State and local governments spend about $7.6 million a year arresting, prosecuting and incarcerating adults for small amounts of marijuana. Reclassification to a civil infraction means greatly reduced costs…officers can shift their time and energy to more serious offenses instead of wasting hours transporting and booking offenders.
“…Marijuana convictions have significant long-term impacts on people’s lives including loss of employment, housing and federal financial aid for college…
“We do not arrest and jail people simply for using alcohol or tobacco. Rather we recognize these as public health issues and address addiction with treatment and public education.”
Sen. Bob McCaslin (R-Spokane Valley, a co-sponsor of SB5615), said reclassification would save the state as much as $3 million a year in jail fees and court costs.
“The state,” he said, “is in the liquor business – which is one of the most harmful drugs on the market – the federal government is in the tobacco business and we are putting people in jail for marijuana.”
Again, the ACLU: “Although marijuana arrests have increased almost 200 percent in the past 15 years the percentages of Americans using marijuana have not gone down. Over 100 million Americans have used marijuana at some point in their lives…
“Despite record marijuana arrest rates nationwide – 872,720 in 2007 with 89 percent for possession only – a large segment of our society continues to use this plant for recreational purposes.”