Title:
Connecticut Legislature decriminalizes marijuana
Message:
Great news: the Connecticut House of Representatives just
passed a bill to decriminalize possession of less than half an ounce of
marijuana! The Senate passed the bill over the weekend, so it now heads to the
desk of Governor Dan Malloy who is sure to sign it.
By a vote of 90-57, the Connecticut House of Representatives approves SB 1014.
With today’s vote, the penalty for possession of less than
half an ounce of marijuana drops from a misdemeanor to an infraction. Most
importantly, violators will be cited rather than arrested and will not be
saddled with a criminal record. Connecticut is the 14th state to
decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.
Congratulations to Lorenzo Jones and the staff of A Better
Way Foundation, and the Drug Policy Alliance, who together led the lobbying
effort to pass SB 1014. Also, thanks and congratulations to all of you who made
calls and sent emails to your legislators in support of this common-sense
reform.
One last favor to ask: please call Governor Malloy
(860-566-4840), a strong proponent of this bill, and thank him for his advocacy
on behalf of decriminalization. We need to show thanks to political leaders who
support marijuana policy reform if we expect more leaders to step forward.
Thanks, onward!
