Friday: Public hearing on bill to decriminalize marijuana in Connecticut

Published: April 7, 2010

A good idea is coming to a statehouse near you. SB 427, which would decriminalize the possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana, as well as drug paraphernalia, will be commented on at a public hearing this Friday. If you’re available, or even if you’re not but you’ve been looking for a good excuse to make it a three-day weekend, please come down to Hartford and join with other activists in support of this common sense legislation. If you can’t make it, please take a moment to urge your legislators to support the bill.

What: Public hearing on SB 427, "An act concerning non-violent drug possession offenses"

Who: Connecticut Joint Committee on Judiciary

Where: Legislative Office Building, Room 2C, 300 Capital Ave., Hartford

When: 10:00 a.m., Friday, March 19, 2010

So what exactly does "decriminalization" mean? Under current Connecticut law, possession of any amount of marijuana — even a single gram — is punishable by up to a year in prison and up to a $1,000 fine. If passed, SB 427 would reduce the penalty for possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana or drug paraphernalia to "an infraction." That means that use or possession of marijuana would remain illegal, but instead of sending non-violent offenders to jail for using a substance safer than alcohol, anyone caught with marijuana would be given a civil fine of $35-90 dollars, and would not be subject to arrest.

Needless to say we’re excited about this proposal. For starters, 91% of the roughly 7,500 marijuana-related arrests in Connecticut in 2007 were for simple possession, and this law means putting an end to the overwhelming majority of them. That means millions of dollars saved in law enforcement, judicial, corrections, and supervision costs, to say nothing of lives and families ruined by arresting and branding as “criminals” otherwise law-abiding individuals. Click here to read more about the negative consequences of Connecticut’s current marijuana laws.

The Drug Policy Alliance and A Better Way Foundation are leading the lobbying effort to pass this sensible reform. Please forward this e-mail to a friend, then come out to Hartford Friday and join them to support this bill. While you’re at it, take just two minutes to send an automated message to your legislators to let them know about the bill. It’s time for Connecticut to bring its marijuana laws into the 21st century.