Vermont House Approves Marijuana Decriminalization

Valley News
If this bill goes all the way Vermont would become the 16th state to have decriminalized.

The Vermont House gave preliminary approval Friday to a bill that would change the offense of possessing up to an ounce of marijuana from a misdemeanor crime to a civil offense similar to a speeding violation.

On roll call vote of 98-44, the House endorsed the bill, which would impose a fine of as much as $300 for anyone caught with up to an ounce of the drug.

The bill also contains provisions designed to eliminate the possibility of a permanent criminal record or future collateral consequences such as ineligibility for certain jobs or government benefits for those convicted of possessing up to two ounces, or up to four plants.

The legislation now goes to the Senate, which is also expected to pass it.

House Resolution 499: Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2013

HR 499

House Resolution 499 introduced by Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) has proposed legislation, which would effectively end the federal prohibition on marijuana and allow states to set their own policies.

House Resolution 499: The Ending Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2013, would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, transfer the Drug Enforcement Administration’s authority to regulate marijuana to a newly renamed Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana and Firearms, require commercial marijuana producers to purchase a permit, and ensure that federal law distinguishes between individuals who grow marijuana for personal use and those involved in commercial sale and distribution.

NORML Take Action to End Marijuana Prohibition! Congress needs to hear from you, please take a minute and click here to quickly and easily write your Representative and urge him or her to support the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2013!

Croatia Will Decriminalize Marijuana In 2013

Via: Croatian Times.

From the start of 2013, those caught with small amounts of narcotic drugs for personal use in Croatia will no longer face criminal conviction. The criminal offence will be degraded to a minor offence. The new law is aimed at decriminalising possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use, but not its production, writes daily newspaper Jutarnji list.

In other words, growing just a few plants of Indian hemp for personal health needs remains a criminal offence, and those growing it still will risk facing a fine and up to three years in prison. A working group from the Ministry of Justice who suggested the law change about decriminalisation of possession of a small amount of drugs, has not proposed a precise regulation regarding the production of narcotic drugs for personal use for chronic health problems.

"We can not regulate criminal law, because it is not up to the Ministry of Justice to decide which substances, when it comes to medical purposes, should be prohibited, and which should not. The decision on whether a drug is a medicine or not is up to the Ministry of Health. Everything that is on the list of banned substances shall be punished in some way, "said Justice Minister Orsat Miljenic. reports the

Vancouver Mayors Say Legalize Marijuana

Vancouver Mayors Say Legalize Marijuana | StoptheDrugWar.org

"Marijuana prohibition is – without question – a failed policy," the former mayors wrote. "It is creating violent, gang-related crime in our communities and fear among our citizens, and adding financial costs for all levels of government at a time when we can least afford them. Politicians cannot ignore the status quo any longer; they must develop and deliver alternative marijuana policies that avoid the social and criminal harms that stem directly from cannabis prohibition."

The ex-mayors' intervention comes as the Canadian federal government of Conservative Prime Minister Steven Harper is attempting to push through a crime bill that would, among other things, impose mandatory minimum prison sentences for growing as few as five plants. But that's not a popular position in British Columbia, where a recent Angus Reid poll had support for taxing and regulating marijuana at 69%. It is past time for elected officials to get on board the marijuana reform bandwagon, the ex-mayor's said.

"Clearly, elected officials are out of step with their public on marijuana prohibition," they wrote. "It is time that elected officials enter the debate and deliver specific proposals to address the easy availability of cannabis to youth and the organized crime concerns stemming directly from cannabis prohibition."

Czech Republic Works On Plan To Legalize Medical Marijuana

​Czechs work on plan to legalize medical marijuana - CBS MoneyWatch.com

A government committee in the Czech Republic is working on a law to legalize medical marijuana in that Eastern European nation.

The country's experts have proposed that marijuana would either be imported or grown locally by farmers who are registered and licensed for such a crop, which is currently illegal.

The draft of the new marijuana bill will be completed in December. If approved by the government and parliament, the law could become effective by the middle of next year.

Some 8,000 Czechs have signed an Internet petition supporting the move, arguing that such marijuana use is legal in a number of European countries and the United States.

Read more: http://moneywatch.bnet.com/economic-news/news/czechs-work-on-plan-to-legalize-medical-marijuana/6319480/#ixzz1bldsVdAR

Record-High 50% of Americans Favor Legalizing Marijuana Use

Record-High 50% of Americans Favor Legalizing Marijuana Use
PRINCETON, NJ -- A record-high 50% of Americans now say the use of marijuana should be made legal, up from 46% last year. Forty-six percent say marijuana use should remain illegal.

When Gallup first asked about legalizing marijuana, in 1969, 12% of Americans favored it, while 84% were opposed. Support remained in the mid-20s in Gallup measures from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s, but has crept up since, passing 30% in 2000 and 40% in 2009 before reaching the 50% level in this year's Oct. 6-9 annual Crime survey.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, "Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States." The National Survey on Drug Use and Health in 2009 found that "16.7 million Americans aged 12 or older used marijuana at least once in the month prior to being surveyed, an increase over the rates reported in all years between 2002 and 2008."

The advocacy group National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws claims that marijuana is the third-most-popular recreational drug in America, behind only alcohol and tobacco. Some states have decriminalized marijuana's use, some have made it legal for medicinal use, and some officials, including former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, have called for legalizing its use.

A Gallup survey last year found that 70% favored making it legal for doctors to prescribe marijuana in order to reduce pain and suffering. Americans have consistently been more likely to favor the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes than to favor its legalization generally.

Younger Americans Most in Favor of Legalizing Marijuana

Support for legalizing marijuana is directly and inversely proportional to age, ranging from 62% approval among those 18 to 29 down to 31% among those 65 and older. Liberals are twice as likely as conservatives to favor legalizing marijuana. And Democrats and independents are more likely to be in favor than are Republicans.

More men than women support legalizing the drug. Those in the West and Midwest are more likely to favor it than those in the South.

Bottom Line

Support for legalizing marijuana has been increasing over the past several years, rising to 50% today -- the highest on record. If this current trend on legalizing marijuana continues, pressure may build to bring the nation's laws into compliance with the people's wishes.

Connecticut Marijuana Decriminalization Bill Passes

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy supports the measure, which would eliminate the misdemeanor offense from possession of less than a half-ounce of marijuana. It would instead result in a $150 fine for a first offense and a fine ranging from $200 to $500 for subsequent offenses.

“Let me make it clear - we are not legalizing the use of marijuana. In modifying this law, we are recognizing that the punishment should fit the crime, and acknowledging the effects of its application,” Malloy said in a statement. “There is no question that the state’s criminal justice resources could be more effectively utilized for convicting, incarcerating and supervising violent and more serious offenders.”

via: NBC Connecticut