Title:
Conn.: Governor Malloy signs decriminalization bill!
Message:
As expected, Gov. Dan Malloy signed SB 1014 yesterday, marking
another victory in the fight to reform our nation’s broken marijuana laws.
The new
law takes effect today (July 1) and makes possession of under half an
ounce of marijuana a civil violation rather than a misdemeanor. Those caught in
possession of less than half an ounce will be cited, rather than arrested, and
fined $150 for a first offense and $200-500 for subsequent offenses. A few
other noteworthy details:
* Marijuana
paraphernalia (pipes, etc.) is similarly decriminalized.
* Upon
a third conviction, violators will be referred to a drug education program at their
own expense.
* Violators
under age 21 will have their driver’s licenses suspended for 60 days.
* The
standard of evidence for proving a violation is “preponderance of the
evidence,” as opposed to the “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard used for crimes.
Connecticut becomes the 14th
state to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, joining
neighboring Massachusetts, which passed an MPP-written and sponsored ballot
initiative in 2008. Another neighboring state, Rhode Island, is considering
decriminalization, so please forward this to your friends in
Rhode Island so they can contact
their legislators.
Thanks everyone, onward!
