Upstream | October 28, 2011 | 13 comments

Chicago Councilmen set to Decriminalize Possession of Marijuana

source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.0af8f11acd1989af42a50ede5cf89585.571&show_article=1

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Chicago pot smokers may soon be able to light up without fear of jail time.

Several Windy City councilmen said Thursday they plan to introduce a local law that would decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana in order to cut costs and free up police to handle more serious crimes.

Chicago police make about 23,000 arrests each year for possession of the drug, a misdemeanor which nevertheless carries stiff punishment of up to six months in jail, a $1,500 fine and a criminal record.

Under the new law set to be introduced next week, people caught with less than 10 grams of marijuana would instead face a $200 fine and up to 10 hours of community service.

Marijuana has already been downgraded to a lesser offense in several Chicago suburbs and areas of Cook County patrolled by the sheriff's department.

Some 11 US states have also decriminalized possession of small amounts of pot and 18 states allow its use for medical purposes, according to the pro-marijuana group NORML.

Enforcing marijuana prohibition costs US taxpayers $10 billion and results in the arrests of 853,000 people a year, NORML said.

Cook County Commissioner John Fritchey told reporters that the proposed law makes sense.

"It is not time to act tough on crime; it is (time) to be smart on crime. We need our resources spent somewhere else," he said.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.0af8f11acd1989af42a50ede5cf89585.571...
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13 comments // Chicago Councilmen set to Decriminalize Possession of Marijuana

  • CalgarC
  • Incredulous
  • Lisayou
  • ACSUS
    • +4
      ACSUS  

    • I wonder just exactly how many people, at what savings, could be let out of PRISON if they actually do decriminalize MARIJUANA POSSESSION?

      Officials are always whining about the cost of holding prisoners so wouldn't this be a win, win?

      I'll be following this story closely.

      By the way, what is Rham Emanual's stand on this issue?

      Do you think Obama would step in and help his long time friend? Probably not until after the election. LAME DUCKS can do a lot more than 1st termers.

      Also, the Feds want to keep jurisdiction over Marijuana sales, possession and use. In California, even though some city's have decriminalized medical Marijuana already, the Feds refuse to recognize those laws and still arrest people and close shops.

    • 7 months ago
  • Leen61
    • +4
      Leen61  

    • This is excellent news to only a certain extent. The Feds will never give up this ghost called the "war on drugs." As long as big pharma calls the tune, the DEA never leaves the picture.

    • 7 months ago
  • wally60
  • Leen61
  • GRC54
    • +4
      GRC54  

    • We have a $300.00 fine for less than an ounce of the weed. Better to spend $300.00 than spend months or years in jail. If every state decriminalizes the weed then what would the feds so about it, arrest all the pols in every state?
      That would be interesting to see.

    • 7 months ago
  • NiceN
  • sugarmountian
  • DanCastro
    • +5
      DanCastro  
    • sugarmountian:

      It just makes so much sense. Pot is NOT a class one drug and the whole nation knows it and thus makes this stupid law a laughing stock! The worst is that the DEA is still busting medial pot companies! We lose money finding and then burning the crop that could be sold and making money for the state in additional tax revenues instead of court costs and then jails!

    • 7 months ago
  • KB723
  • Ray_Christl
    • +4
      Ray_Christl  

    • The mob town still wants the profit to go to CIA-Mafia & then they tax you with a fine as your caught--the politicos get bribes from the mob & govt praise from the cops...perfect slave system & we can't use hemp,or get the amounts to make cancer curing edibles.

    • 7 months ago
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