Source: Sam Ford, WJLA
WJLA
WJLA: D.C. Cannabis Campaign pushes to legalize marijuana
WASHINGTON (WJLA) – Many people would prefer to keep pot out of the District, but now there’s a grassroots effort to loosen the law so residents can light up legally.
According to the man behind the movement, it’s time D.C. gets with the times:
“This is the number one civil rights issue of our day,” said Adam Eidinger. “Nobody is going to jail for anything quite like this.”
The D.C. Cannabis Campaign chair is making legalizing marijuana his mission.
SOURCE: Jenny Doren, WJLA
News Coverage of the DC Marijuana Decriminalization Hearings
Over 40 witnesses testified and more than 100 District residents attended the historic marijuana decriminalization hearings this week. Below are some of the news articles & videos that were generated:
SOURCE: DC FOX 5
- NBC 4 – D.C. Marijuana Laws Likely to Change
- NBC 4 – D.C. Council Could Send Marijuana Decriminalization Bill to Mayor in January
- WJLA – D.C. Council considers decriminalizing marijuana
- WASHINGTON POST – D.C. poised for a giant leap toward legalizing small amounts of marijuana
- WASHINGTON POST – Marijuana Likely to be Decriminalized
- WASHINGTON CITY PAPER – A Frenemy With Weed
- WASHINGTON CITY PAPER – Gray Wants Changes to Marijuana Bill
- WASHINGTON CITY PAPER – What Legalized Weed Could Look Like in D.C.
- THE HOYA – Decriminalization on Council Agenda
- WASHINGTONIAN – Mayor Gray Backs Marijuana Decriminalization, With Some Tweaks
- WASHINGTON TIMES – D.C. mayor, AG support bill decriminalizing marijuana
- WAMU – D.C. Council Holds First Of Two Hearings On Marijuana Decriminalization Bill
- WAMU – Gray Backs Bill Decriminalizing Possession Of Small Amounts Of Marijuana
- WTOP – DC Council could decriminalize pot in January
- THINKPROGRESS – D.C. On The Verge Of Decriminalizing Marijuana
- ROLL CALL – If D.C. Decriminalizes Marijuana, Will Congress’ Reaction Be a Buzz Kill?
WJLA: Marijuana possession would be decriminalized for small amounts under proposal
On Wednesday, Councilman Tommy Wells introduced legislation to de-criminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana in D.C. If passed, the drug would still be illegal, but possession would no longer mean a misdemeanor resulting in arrest.
Instead of a criminal offense, the proposed bill would make possession of less than one ounce of marijuana merely a civil offense in D.C. – punishable by a $100 fine.
17 states have decriminalized possession of small amounts of pot, including California and New York. The District has already legalized medical marijuana, but the law has not yet been fully implemented.
Marijuana activists are celebrating in the District, as 10 out of 13 members of the D.C. Council have signed on as co-introducers or co-sponsors of the bill.
“Current laws do not work, said Wells. “It takes a tremendous amount of resources from our police, from our prisons, and from our courts — really with a result that the public good does not outweigh the public harm.”
Supporters of the proposed bill including the NAACP and the ACLU, who argue that in D.C., blacks are eight times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana possession.
“When you have an entire population of people who are saddled with criminal records and arrest records, it creates serious barriers to employment,” said Seema Sadanandan, organizer for D.C.’s ACLU.
But the head of D.C.’s police union disputes that officers are to blame.
“This department is only 30 percent white,” said D.C. Fraternal Order of Police Chairman Kristopher Baumann. “We are not targeting people because of their race. We have a drug problem here in DC. We have a poverty problem here in DC. And if the council would start addressing those issues maybe we could fix some of these problems.”
Some opponents worry that decriminalizing marijuana could lead Congress to interfere with District home rule. Others claim this is too slippery of a slope and that it may lead to full legalization of marijuana or other drugs.
D.C. resident Vicky Watkins said: “I think they should just keep the law they already have. Don’t minimize it. If you get caught, you should go to jail.”
On Wednesday, Mayor Gray called this decriminalization effort “interesting,” and said he looks forward to reviewing the bill. MPD Chief Cathy Lanier declined to take a specified side in the debate.
Source: WJLA