Title:
Ask your senator to oppose L.B. 176, legislation that would increase marijuana penalties
Message:
Sen. Doug Cunningham (Wausa) has introduced L.B. 176, legislation that would increase the penalties for possession of less than one ounce of marijuana and re-criminalize the offense as a Class IV misdemeanor.
Please take action and send a pre-written letter to your state senator. After you choose your favorite pre-written letter and type in your address, our site will automatically determine who your state senator is and e-mail your letter to him or her … all with the click of a few buttons. The whole process takes less than two minutes but makes a world of difference. Also, please take a look at the bill, which is posted on MPP's Nebraska Bills Pending page.
For 25 years, first-time possession of small amounts of marijuana has been treated as a civil infraction. This policy ensures that "youthful indiscretions" with marijuana are not punished with criminal records that can last a lifetime. Don Fiedler, an Omaha attorney representing the Nebraska Criminal Defense Attorneys Association, recently said, "Under the old laws, young men and women were unable to get scholarships and were barred from certain professions because they had drug convictions on their records. When you make marijuana possession a crime, that has serious implications for the rest of a young person's life."
Under L.B. 176, first-time marijuana offenders would not only earn a criminal record, but would also face a maximum fine of $500. Nebraska has had its current, sensible marijuana laws for 25 years. There is no need to burden judges and prosecutors by forcing them to try marijuana possession cases that are now quickly resolved with the payment of a civil fine.
