Mach Report This Comment
Date: October 02, 2010 07:21AM

No Joke, the Terminator signed it into law Sept. 30th.


Possession of an ounce or less of Marijuana is almost nothing in California, not even an arrest, it is no longer a crime, it is just a civil infraction, just a ticket that cannot exceed $100.

If you're in Cali. and you can either have an ounce of Marijuana or get a traffic ticket, take the Marijuana, it's a cheaper ticket.

[www.salem-news.com]

This bill changes the crime of possession of less than an ounce of marijuana from a misdemeanor punishable only by a $100 fine to an infraction punishable by a $100 fine. Under existing law, jail time cannot be imposed, probation cannot be ordered, nor can the base fine exceed $100 for someone convicted of this crime.

weedagra Report This Comment
Date: October 02, 2010 08:47AM

Arnold knows whats goood !
heil schwarzenegger !!

woberto Report This Comment
Date: October 02, 2010 09:56AM

California need the money

ORLANDO399 Report This Comment
Date: October 02, 2010 03:32PM

Hopefully other states will follow, but for florida considering it's a mickey mouse state it might never happen...sigh

Mrkim Report This Comment
Date: October 02, 2010 06:05PM

Yeah, I can't see it happenin here in Texas anytime soon either

A cuppla years ago proponents of decriminalization here felt they'd achieved a big victory when simple possession of small amounts was made an issue whereby a ticket is written and no one gets carted off to jail for it anymore. But, the penalties remained exactly the same, meaning the fines and punishments remained unchanged and that the cops just didn't haul you in for it anymore. which really looks like about the same change California actually made too.

Seems like it could also lead to a secondary budget windfall as it would seem there will be a likelihood for cops to write more of these infraction tickets than they might have made arrests for small amounts previously due to the increased headaches and paperwork involved in having made those arrests comparatively. This would lead to the possibility of lots more of those $100 tickets bein issued with almost no additional costs to the judicial system except in adjudicating and collecting the fees from the "ticketholders" which all in all would be VERY beneficial to the system.

Anyone who feels the judicial system is geared more towards justice than it is towards $$$ is seriously misguided and delusional. Justice is simply the tool required to separate the governed from more of their $$.

I'm curious what difference being convicted of a legal "infraction" is compared to being convicted of a misdemeanor? Still it really looks like more of a budgetary victory for the California legal system (just like it was here) than it does a win for the legalization bunch





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/2010 06:14PM by Mrkim.

Mach Report This Comment
Date: October 02, 2010 10:56PM

Yeah, that's exactly what it is, they are just cutting some of their costs but still continuing the take your money scheme. I have to say, it is a $100 maximum though, the cops, especially in Cali. can make a lot more money in other easier ways.... I was out there years ago and we parked somewhere and went for a walk, came back about 30 minutes later and the rental was towed, it cost us a couple hundred to get it back, the No Parking signs were literally about 15-20ft up on the post, you had to break your neck to see them, tow trucks were lining up, it was like a damn cash factory for the city (L.A.).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/2010 10:57PM by Mach.