We knew it was coming.
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who opposes legalization of marijuana for recreational use, has approved legislation downgrading possession of an ounce or less from a misdemeanor to an infraction.
Supporters say the change will keep marijuana-related cases from becoming court-clogging jury trials, even though the penalty will remain a fine of up to $100, with no jail time. Violations will not go on a person’s record as a crime.
“I am signing this measure because possession of less than an ounce of marijuana is an infraction in everything but name,” Schwarzenegger wrote in a message released after he signed the bill. “In this time of drastic budget cuts, prosecutors, defense attorneys, law enforcement and the courts cannot afford to expend limited resources prosecuting a crime that carries the same punishment as a traffic ticket.”
Los Angeles Times
October 2, 2010
While I haven’t given this full thought yet, I agree with it on the surface. Not because the drug is harmless and should be legalized, but because the courts need to be freed up from minor transgressions that choke the system and allowed to focus on bigger cases.
It is apparent that the threat of jail time hasn’t stopped anyone from smoking pot in the past. So why the pretense? It would be like flooding the precincts and courts with jaywalkers. This is probably one less nuisance that the California cops have to worry about.
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