$25 Penalties for Marijuana Go Into Effect in the Capital

$25 Penalties for Marijuana Go Into Effect in the Capital

Now this is a fun(ny) read.

One of the least restrictive marijuana laws in the country went into effect in the shadow of the White House on Thursday, eliciting stern warnings from the local police but good cheer from many Washingtonians.

“A ticket when you just have a jay or something?” said Clifford Gray, a lifelong District of Columbia resident who is in his 20s, using a slang term for a marijuana cigarette. “I’m good with that.”

Mr. Gray, who spoke outside a subway stop in the Columbia Heights neighborhood, two miles from the White House, was reacting to a new District of Columbia law that reduces the penalty for having up to an ounce of the drug to a $25 ticket. The offense is now a civil infraction, like littering, which carries a fine three times as high.

An ounce can be the equivalent of dozens of marijuana cigarettes. Possession of more than an ounce remains a crime — an acknowledgment that drug dealers are more likely than recreational users to be carrying that much — and carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. Until Thursday, that same penalty applied to possession of an ounce or less.

That's right, $25 for being caught with marijuana in DC, but it only gets better. Oh and if you notice above, the fine for littering is three times that fine. Read on.

In light of the minor penalty, Mr. McEachin, who said he had served jail time for marijuana-related offenses, was one of many residents who saw the new law as a step toward legalization. The city’s Board of Elections is expected to announce next week whether a separate measure legalizing personal possession and cultivation will be on the ballot in November.

They may be voting on legalization soon. Frankly, with a $25 fine, they might as well just legalize it. It's almost like the fine exists because that is the bare minimum they could do next to legalizing it. Below is my favorite part of the article, wonder why they buried it at the end?

The law also poses challenges for the local police. Unless an officer believes someone is driving under the influence, the smell of marijuana is not considered evidence of a crime, and possessing up to an ounce of the drug is insufficient justification for a search warrant. Ms. Crump, the police spokeswoman, said officers must undergo training on the law before making any arrests.

Yes, you read right. The law hinders police from using that old, "I smell weed," excuse to rip your car apart even if he didn't smell a thing. Though it isn't all sunshines and rainbows with this new law. Being DC and all and marijuana still being illegal federally is going to cause some difficulties like so.

Marijuana possession remains a federal crime, a fact that is likely to cause conflicts in a city with an abundance of federal land, like the National Mall, the Capitol complex and monuments like the Jefferson Memorial. Robert MacLean, the acting chief of the United States Park Police, said at a House hearing in May that an individual carrying marijuana on federal land in the city could face a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $5,000 fine.

Also, one more minor speed bump from the House Republicans.

The new law went into effect at the end of a 60-day review period, when Congress could have overruled it by a joint resolution of the House and Senate — a difficult hurdle. House Republicans, who are unhappy with the new law, instead passed a spending bill on Wednesday that would block funding for it. But the measure is unlikely to pass the Senate, and President Obama threatened to veto it as he warned Congress not to interfere in the city’s laws.

I don't care who you are. If you are against legalization of marijuana, you are on the wrong side of history. If you are a politician and you are against, don't expect to keep your job for too much longer. My generation (millennials) are getting older. As a generation ages they become more involved in politics and not many people my age are against it. Good luck House Republicans in blocking this. LOL.

Why do they even bother? It would be more efficient to just levy a tax on it and their revenue would be greater than the occasional $25 fine.

Sounds like a pointless stop-gap to appease prohibitionists on the way to the inevitable.

a reply to: thisguyrighthere

Yeah, I agree. It is rather silly, but it just highlights that the prohibitionists will fight tooth and nail to hold whatever scraps of it being illegal that they can. I guess you can say that it highlights that the battle for legalization is still a rather long one.

F/S, Krazy!

Sigh. Why don't they just legalize it and make money via the taxes? Colorado's little "experiment" is going quite swimmingly.
Funny how now that Americans can cultivate and market their own weed, the Mexican cartels are now going after -
LIMES and AVOCADOS as the "contraband". They are strong-arming lime and avocado farmers into turning over their crops to them. Have you noticed how expensive those items are now??

Used to be 5 limes for a buck - now in some places it's a buck for ONE.
Avocados used to be under a buck each. Now the small ones are a buck, and the big ones are $2.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Really? That's crazy. I should check that out the next time I go grocery shopping.

Prohibition has never worked unless deaths and incarceration are the ultimate goals. If the law enforcement community actually spent more time in the community and less time acting as revenue generators (read salesmen that you cannot say no to) then if there was legalization, then our police etc., could actually focus on problem oriented individuals instead of regular people who might 'wanna try'.

originally posted by: BuzzyWigs
F/S, Krazy!

Sigh. Why don't they just legalize it and make money via the taxes?

Because once TPTB have their hands on "Mary Jane", the restrictions, control, genetic modification, tainting and who knows what else will probably occur. I think of it like hand rolled V pre-made cigarettes. One is reasonably unmessed with and the other is completely altered to promote addiction and illness.

With a few big producers who would outweigh demand from small producers, the product looses it's original natural form to maximise profits.

It's easier to tax a big company and make consumers pay than it would be with many small individual producers and ask yourself a question....how many people grow their own tobacco? If it wasn't taxed and only produced by small growers, do you think it would be as messed with as it is?

Keep it in the hands of the free minded individual, like the nature it was born from.

Also, what the article in the O.P. doesn't tell us is that if a person gets stopped with under an ounce and fined, do they get to keep their stash or is it conviscated?

Hands off the grass Big Brother!

a reply to: nerbot

Well marijuana is FAR easier to grow on your own than tobacco is. That's why they call it a weed, it grows everywhere. While yes, big business will get involved with marijuana production (it's inevitable), I don't think they'd be able to ever muscle out independent growers and sellers because it is just too easy to do it.

As for your remarks about cops confiscating found weed, I imagine that they won't hesitate to confiscate using some vague legal justification to do so. Reading the article, the police don't sound too happy with this law.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Why don't they just legalize it

Then what would they do with all those empty jail cells ?

Oh the irony!!! In our nations capital it's now just a $25 slap on the wrist...meanwhile in prisons across the country people sit and rot from committing the same offense. This should just become a legal taxed item, Colorado has already benefited from the tax revenue in the small amount of time it's been legal there. At this point it's just becoming a joke with how the feds are dealing with the issue. America, I hate to tell you this, but the last three presidents smoked it...hey wait a minute, that could explain a lot, or maybe just highlight the fact they shouldn't have quit. You be the judge.

originally posted by: nerbot

originally posted by: BuzzyWigs
F/S, Krazy!

Sigh. Why don't they just legalize it and make money via the taxes?

Because once TPTB have their hands on "Mary Jane", the restrictions, control, genetic modification, tainting and who knows what else will probably occur. I think of it like hand rolled V pre-made cigarettes. One is reasonably unmessed with and the other is completely altered to promote addiction and illness.

Hands off the grass Big Brother!

Don't the laws in Colorado allow you to grow your own plants for recreational use?

Let's wait until any other states enact laws where you can't grow your own but still sell it in the shops before we start claiming they are tainting the MJ with mind control drugs etc.

a reply to: notmyrealname

yes it did work , it made al capone and others like him very rich .

a reply to: nerbot

Because once TPTB have their hands on "Mary Jane", the restrictions, control, genetic modification, tainting and who knows what else will probably occur. I think of it like hand rolled V pre-made cigarettes. One is reasonably unmessed with and the other is completely altered to promote addiction and illness.

Mmm. true.

I was thinking of doing it like Colorado has done, though - not a "corporate" takeover. And yes, you're right about tobacco...
I switched several years ago from Marlboro to an off-brand called Echo. NO additives. And it was suddenly MUCH EASIER (and cheaper, too!) to go hours and hours without a cig. Tastes just as good (if not BETTER). Carton in my area is $22. Marlboros run at least double that.


I figured out then that Marlboro is adding things that make theirs more addictive.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

That may have something to do with the fact that cigarette companies aren't required to list the ingredients in their cigarettes on the packages.

originally posted by: BuzzyWigs

Used to be 5 limes for a buck - now in some places it's a buck for ONE.

Another reason why I moved out of the 1st world. Here I can buy a lb for about $1.

But if I was caught with weed here, $25 would probably be the equivalent of how much Id need to bribe the cop.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

If this is really the land of the free, and a free individual in a free state has the freedom to do what they want with themselves and the materials of this earth in this free time as long as they are not effecting others, how should it not be illegal to 'mess' with weed smokers at all? Cigarettes are legal and are far worse for an individual user, there should be no drama surrounding this whole progressive weed movement. The only bad thing is targeting to kids and stuff like that but I dont know, kids get their hands on cigarettes and alcohol too, that should be up to the parents of the kids to figure out, not the totality of free citizens in a free state, this is obvious.

originally posted by: Tucket

originally posted by: BuzzyWigs

Used to be 5 limes for a buck - now in some places it's a buck for ONE.

Another reason why I moved out of the 1st world. Here I can buy a lb for about $1.

But if I was caught with weed here, $25 would probably be the equivalent of how much Id need to bribe the cop.

Where do you live? (Incase you are a paranoia person and think im asking for your exact address, just wondering what country ; )

Hmm Interesting Because it's DC -

I would think DC of all places would stand up with the federal mandate that pot is still a Schedule One Narcotic - and as of January of last year according to federal courts, will remain so blogs.ocweekly.com...

So my question is - How can the Federal Capitol of the nation do this at all without this status being changed?

It was my understanding since DC is Not a state, it cannot apply laws in the same manner states can - states rights don't apply to DC - or am i missing something here?

Lol it still amuses me we're having this talk about cannabis, it's illeagal here in Scotland yet it's rare to have a night out with the boys without having contact with PC plod, even with the laws here it's rare for a policeman to take your stash from you even if your freshning up the air with fresh plant material around them, there just happy to see nobodys been stabbed and send you on your way, I look forward to the the day we can openely discuss a harmless and helpfull plant here on ATS because this conjecture is just silly now, it's a freaking vegitation like lettuce and just as tastey in a sandwich.

originally posted by: JohnPhoenix
Hmm Interesting Because it's DC -

I would think DC of all places would stand up with the federal mandate that pot is still a Schedule One Narcotic - and as of January of last year according to federal courts, will remain so blogs.ocweekly.com...

Except that it is up for debate again.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

So my question is - How can the Federal Capitol of the nation do this at all without this status being changed?

Because not all of DC is federal land.

It was my understanding since DC is Not a state, it cannot apply laws in the same manner states can - states rights don't apply to DC - or am i missing something here?

Medical has been legal in DC for a while. Just FYI.