WASHINGTON POST: … On a 34-to-8 vote, the Senate gave final approval to the legislation Monday afternoon. The bill would impose only civil fines, rather than criminal sanctions, on those caught with less than 10 grams of the drug…
At least 24 other states now have either decriminalized the use of marijuana, approved it for medicinal purposes or legalized it outright, according to a study by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.
“As a young prosecutor, I once thought that decriminalizing the possession of marijuana might undermine the public will necessary to combat drug violence and improve public safety,” [Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D)] said in a statement. “I now think that [it] is an acknowledgment of the low priority that our courts, our prosecutors, our police and the vast majority of citizens already attach to this transgression of public order and public health.”… (more)
This is hardly a “decriminalization bill”. Nevertheless, it makes sense to keep such violations out of the courts. Those caught with less than 10 grams ( .35 oz – That’s right, slightly less than four tenths of an ounce) will be subject to a civil fine, like fines associated with traffic cameras. Let’s hope the fines raise sufficient revenue to pay for the burdens marijuana imposes on the people of Maryland.
EDITOR: We agree. Also it facilitates the sale of marijuana by the underworld. We need taxation, regulation and control. Sales should be through licensed beverage facilities, State Stores here in PA. Also people should be allowed to grow their own and for treatment of friends with medical problems.
I suspect that the underworld will learn to adapt to a new business model and capitalize on the taxed vs not taxed product. In comparison to alcohol, growing marijuana is much easier thus marijuana will be far more difficult to regulate. We have been unable to control marijana use so far and I see no reason why future control and regulation will be any different. We will garner some tax revenue but we don’t know if the new tax revenue will pay the full cost of the proposed attempt at regulation and control and no one seems to want to talk about it. If the taxation does not pay for the costs of enforcement we will have another government product subsidy on our hands. Time will tell.
EDITOR: I appreciate what you “suspect.”
But the fact is there is no black market for alcoholic beverages, with the possibe exception of moonshine in certain Appalachian communities. Yet alcoholic beverages are heavily taxed.
There is a small market for smuggled cigarettes from states with low taxes to those with high. But that is hardly a big problem.
With taxation, regulation and control, the marijuana drug cartels will be crushed. Violence will be greatly diminished.
Not only will government receive a huge tax windfall, but expenses for the criminal justice system will be greatly reduced.
Also the cost of health care may be sharply reduced due to self treatment and less problems from drunken driving.