A bill was proclaimed by D.C. member of the Council Tommy Wells last Wednesday that would permit proprietorship of minor quantity of cannabis.
The “Decriminalization Amendment Act of Possession of Small Amount of Marijuana” seeks to eliminate criminal drawbacks for possession of scarcer than an ounce of cannabis. This bill would help save many lives from losing their right for education and opportunities for employment.
Wells said that once you have a criminal record of possessing marijuana, it would really be a great disadvantage for you to join the construction progress happening all over your place.
Even when you’re not a cannabis user and just simply got the dreaded THC compound from second-hand exposure from your environment and though you belong to some states who have legalized the use of marijuana for medication or recreational purposes, you could still be fired or will not be able to get employed to companies who have substance-free policy.
Many pro-cannabis supporters who believe that it is high time to implement a more utilitarian policy warmly embrace the news. Marijuana Policy Project based in D.C. also said in a news report that the current policy of the District in arresting and arranging thousands of cannabis proprietors each year is exploiting further harm than good.
Based on the statement of the American Civil Liberties Union, D.C. partakes the country’s uppermost detention rate for marijuana tenure amounting to 846 cannabis arrest per 100,000 individual in 2010 – which is greater than 3 times the nationwide rate. Implementing marijuana possession laws accumulates greater volume on the D.C.’s money per capita than any state in the country. $26.5 million are consumed for the judicial, police and jail expenses imposing pot laws and greater than $40 for every denizen.
ACLU also verified that there is a racial discrepancy in Washington’s cannabis arrests. African-Americans were 3.73 times more probably to be detained for marijuana possession than white folks, although the two clusters use cannabis at a closely equal degree.
Last April there was a poll directed by the Public Policy Polling which shows that the thrust in legalizing marijuana in Washington have gained the reinforcement of the public wherein 75% of the residents in D.C. asserted their support and 63% of them supports in decriminalizing and taxing marijuana for individuals who are 21 and above.Amongst the council members assisting the Amendment Act is Washington D.C.’s former mayor, Marion Barry who used up 6 months in prison when he was caught smoking weed.
However, Mayor Vincent Gray has stated that D.C. must first put their attention on the application of its medical marijuana platform before considering the legalization of marijuana more generally.
Phil Mendelson, a Council Chairman is also cynical with regards to legalizing marijuana. He thinks it’s not yet the right time and this case will not go over easily with the Congress.
Wells presented the legislature with co-Councilmen Marion Barry together with six additional co-benefactors, together with Councilman David Grosso, who guaranteed that he will support the bill to decriminalize marijuana.
If Washington will authorize cannabis for personal use, it would join the 14 states that are already implementing it.
