Bill Would Nix Pot-Growing As Mandatory Felony
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Cultivating marijuana would no longer be a mandatory felony under a new California bill introduced by a pot-friendly lawmaker.
The bill written by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano would let district attorneys decide whether to charge marijuana growers with felonies or misdemeanors.
Current state law requires anyone found guilty of cultivating marijuana to serve jail time. The law makes exceptions for patients and caregivers growing marijuana for medical purposes.
Ammiano attracted national attention in 2009 when he proposed legislation that would have taxed and regulated marijuana like alcohol. The bill died in committee.
The San Francisco Democrat's new proposal is backed by District Attorney David Eyster of Mendocino County, one of the state's top pot-growing regions.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
