Bill to reduce marijuana penalties passes Senate committee

Legislation that would remove the misdemeanor designation on possession of less than one ounce of marijuana has passed the Senate Committee on Public Safety. Sen. Byron Sher's (D-Stanford) bill, S.B. 131, would make the offense a criminal infraction, punishable by a fine of $100.

S.B. 131 would eliminate the need for attorneys' fees and court appearances. Individuals would be issued a citation and simply pay a fine.

Please contact your legislators and urge them to support S.B. 131.

Making your opinion known to your legislators is the key to passing marijuana legislation: Only you can convince them that this issue is important to Californians.

Please take a few moments to Take Action. After you choose your favorite pre-written letter and type in your address, our site will automatically e-mail your letter to your legislators … all with the click of a few buttons. The whole process takes less than two minutes, but it makes a world of difference. Also, you can print the letters and send them to your legislators through regular mail.

For the full text of this bill, see Bills Pending.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please pass this on so that even more people can speak out for reform.