Possession of any amount of marijuana in Connecticut now can result in a criminal record and up to a $1,000 fine--but members of the Judiciary Committee voted to change that Tuesday night.
Under terms of a bill the committee approved, getting caught with a half-ounce or less--which committee members said is about 30 marijuana joints--would carry a $100 fine and no criminal record.
Rep. John Hetherington: 'If you decrease deterrence you will increase use'
"Anything less is for personal use," said Sen. Eric D. Coleman, D-Bloomfield, co-chair of the committee. "I don't think the future... should be jeopardized by charges incurred by them for possession of small amounts of marijuana."
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy had originally proposed decriminalizing possession of up to one ounce. The measure approved Tuesday reduced the limit to a half-ounce, but backers said it would still save money and free up the courts to deal with violent offenders.
"This proposal is just saying, let's save all that hassle. These offenses do take up a lot of time and effort in the court system," said Michael Lawlor, a senior adviser to Malloy and former chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
Lawlor said the proposal will save the state "multi-millions" by not having an estimated 2,000 offenders who are caught each year with small amounts of marijuana brought into the justice system. The legislature's non-partisan research office reported that states that have reduced penalties for possession have "significantly reduced expenses" for arrests and prosecution.
But Republicans on the committee said decriminalization of even small amounts of pot is a bad idea.
"If you decrease deterrence you will increase use," said Rep. John W. Hetherington, the ranking Republican on the committee.
In 10 of the 13 states where decriminalization has taken place, marijuana use exceeds the national average, according to a report by the Office of Legislative Research.
"This is unconscionable to me," said Sen. John Kissel, the Ranking Senate Republican of the committee. "This bill is essentially saying... 'Just don't carry too much of it and you should be OK'... It's a slap on the wrist."
But Coleman said existing penalties don't deter casual marijuana use, and it's wrong to impose criminal records on the users.
"I don't want [their] opportunities to be thwarted," he said.
A similar proposal was voted out of the Judiciary Committee in 2009, but former Gov. M. Jodi Rell promised to veto it so the General Assembly never voted on the bill. This year, the proposal is backed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the public. A recent Quinnipiac University poll found 65 percent of those surveyed support decriminalizing the drug.
It's time to end the war on drugs. Tax casual users. Treat addicts as patients, not criminals. Dismantle the neo-military apparatus we've put in place and the monstrous prison system that warehouses hundreds of thousands of non-violent drug-related inmates across the country. The stupidity of the current policy is mind-blowing.
Great. What do I tell my teenager now? Don't worry about what we've been telling you all these years or what you learned in the DARE program or in those health classes. If you've got it, smoke it because the state has to to plug the budget deficit.
Talk to your kids about drugs like you do about booze and sex. They're around and available, and you must learn to use them responsibly. Don't drink and drive. Don't have unprotected sex. Don't spend your life wasted on drugs. It's part of becoming an adult.
Perhaps "10 of the 13 states where decriminalization has taken place, marijuana use exceeds the national average" is because those who smoke it in these decriminalized areas are more open about it? If you know you're not going to get in trouble, you're more apt to 'fess up. I'm pretty sure if you were to get jail time for something you wouldn't openly say you do it.
As for what to tell your teen, pot is the least of your worries of what's out there. Teach your teen your morals. Abortions for birth control are legal, so should you
Read MoreIt is not the government's responsibility to watch what your kids decide to put into their bodies. You are a parent and therefore you must parent your children. We do not need big government to watch over every family and make decisions for themselves. The government does not make fast food illegal because it is one's choice to indulge in it. Whether or not it is necessarily a "good" decision is not noteworthy, you have the right to make a choice. Marijuana should obviously be legalized, it is not even a debate. Those who
Read More"In 10 of the 13 states where decriminalization has taken place, marijuana use exceeds the national average, according to a report by the Office of Legislative Research."
Well, that's absolutely....useless! There's likely a lot of other states where marijuana use exceeds the national average as well. That tends to be how averages work.....some above some below. Those 10 could very well have been above before decriminalization as well. If you want to use statistics at least make them useful.
Pass this and be done with it. Let people grow and sell it and tax
Read MoreA step in the right direction. It's time for a sense of proportion and that time is here now.
The draconian punishments for marijuana usage are as illegitimate and corrupt as they are longstanding. Senator Antionette Doucher , arguing for the WASP Bible thumper Child toucher Insurance-Financial Executive New Canaanite holier than thou misinformation peddlers - keeps railing that the "the children are the victims". Why don't you clean up the Church's rampant pedophilia first before you tell us that a joint is harmful?
To wit: Nowhere is anyone saying that marijuana usage under 18 will be legal. Not
Read MoreMarijuana is a prohibited drug. There are laws that are followed regarding this matter. Strict implementation of laws on prohibited drugs is good for the society. Government officials are passing bills to further strengthen the existing laws.The Connecticut Senate barely approved a bill earlier this week to decriminalize having modest quantities of weed. New York has a similar bill which tries to fix a loophole from an earlier decriminalization law. Even those who support the New York bill have doubts as to its ability to pass before end of the period. I found this here: N.Y. and Connecticut lawmakers seek
Read More"If the state does not change its demographic trajectory, it faces a bleak future."
A Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis report, "Recovery Stirring, But Will Connecticut be Too Old to Compete?"
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