D.C. To Consider Decriminalizing Pot Possession
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The D.C. Council will consider decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana.
Councilmember Tommy Wells plans to introduce the bill Wednesday. It was prompted in part by an American Civil Liberties Union report that found the District of Columbia leads the nation in per capita arrests for marijuana possession.
The report also found that about 90 percent of those arrested for possession are black.
The bill would make possession of less than one ounce of marijuana a civil offense punishable by a $100 fine. Seventeen states have decriminalized possession of small amounts of pot. The district has also legalized medical marijuana, although the law has not been fully implemented.
Three councilmembers are co-introducing the bill, including Councilmember Marion Barry. Mayor Vincent Gray has not taken a position on decriminalization.
(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
