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Sunday, March 16, 2014

JUST IN: Senate Passes Marijuana Decriminalization Bill

The Maryland Senate has passed a measure making marijuana possession a civil offense.

The body approved Sen. Robert Zirkin’s bill 36-8 on Friday after relatively little debate.

In their final push to get it passed, Zirkin and Sen. Christopher Shank argued states with similar laws have not seen surges in teens’ marijuana use. About 18 other states impose fines instead of criminal charges.

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30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Soooo glad I left .... Florida said no and will continue to say no

Anonymous said...

So if they are decriminalizing it that means that it is not a crime.......so what is the fine for?

Anonymous said...

Anon 2:51 PM you and the rest of SBY are complete idiots... Seriously...

Google the term decriminalized and you have your answer...

The difference will be civil not criminal... civil is traffic tickets and things of the like, where you pay money and you don't go to jail or have a criminal record... Also, just because MD said they will just fine you instead of putting you in jail, don't forget it still is a class 3 drug under federal law which means if the feds want to enforce it they can... or if the feds want to come get you on it they can...

Anonymous said...

Big WIN for freedom today! Too bad the weed lobby and the gun lobby can't seem to get along. Both are fighting the same fight.

Anonymous said...

I wish they would use the same rationale with concealed carry permits. Other states that have CCW have not seen a rise and actually have seen a decrease in crime. But I guess they want a society that is high and dependent on the Gov. rather than one that can take of themselves and fight back against a tyrannical Gov. Tom

Anonymous said...

About time!

Anonymous said...

LSD and Cocaine next man.

Anonymous said...

Decriminalizing marijuana is absolutely stupid. Kudos to the 8 Senators that said no. It is in the Senate and not the House. It has to pass both before becoming state law.

Hopefully the feds will bust people for it. Our elected officials are complete idiots.

Anon 3:04 PM it is not a big win for Freedom.

Believe it or not it is a BLACK thing and liberals are doing it for the black vote. They want to keep more blacks out of jail to make it look like they are normal law abiding citizens. When the blacks get a civil citation they will just throw it away and not pay it. Our police officers will be wasting their time writing civil citations and they will probably give up. Marijuana will lead to more criminal activity. They will still steal to buy it. They will still pedal it on the street. They want the rest of the country to think Maryland has a low crime rate when in fact we do and the 2 (TWO) highest crime rates are in Salisbury and Baltimore. You pot heads just don't get it do you. These are the same bunch of idiots that voted for same sex marriage and voted to take our guns away. AND you think decriminalizing pot is a step closer to freedom? You crawl under your rock and smoke a doobie for me.

Anonymous said...

This still must pass The House. it is not a done deal.

Anonymous said...

How dumb !!

Anonymous said...

They need to stop fooling around and just legalize it

Anonymous said...

339 ha ha. I've seen enough pothead white college students, preppy white wannabe dealers, and and older white pot pros to know how full of crap you are

Anonymous said...

And you sound stupid for saying its a BLACK thing! This is like the funniest thing I have heard all day! Only blacks smoke marijuana, lol!

Anonymous said...

The crime 3:39 is wasting police and court resources for a fringing joint or small bag of dope...the..tickets will bring in more dollars with less overhead..and police can focus on the real crimminals ...and more pressing problems..and .its allot safer than boozel

Anonymous said...

3:39 PM

YOU SIR/MADAM ARE GROSSLY OUT OF TOUCH!

Anonymous said...

Great win.I'm glad this went through before global warming kicked in.

Anonymous said...

3:39 I would encourage you to think beyond "reefer madness" and educate yourself. You can start with "American Drug War" it's a FACT based documentary available on YouTube and Netflix. Boy the private prison lobbie would love to have you on the payroll......well judging from your assanine comment, you may be a blog troller for the prison industrial complex.

Anonymous said...

Seriously.....log off your computer, you buzz killer. Go feed your 20 cats.

Anonymous said...

Dolts.
So its ok to buy a quarter (7 grams) but the guy selling it is a criminal?

How can it be legal to own a substance that is illegal to sell?

Anonymous said...

3:39 good idea, just lit one.

Anonymous said...

The states that have legalized have significantly improved their economies.

Anonymous said...

Civil citation mean it becomes away to raise state revenue. Unpaid civil cites will result in arrest warrants. Also civil cites also create court time for police. You people cheering for this change will not see the cost saving results you wish for.

Anonymous said...

Understand this is not legalization. You will now be charged through civil citation.

Anonymous said...

This crap makes people stupid and lazy. And what about the dealers? you know, those hero's who sell weed to our kids. What will happen to them when they get busted. Will judges turn their heads because it is just a civil matter now. Whatever...
And don't even try to tell me that pot doesn't lead to bigger and better drugs. Ask any heroin addict or meth head what he started with.

Anonymous said...

4:05-
I hardly even know where to start to comment on your statement. Overuse of anything can create bad results; all things in moderation. Mainly, the drug you describe would be cigarettes, the original gateway drug. Get mad with the tobacco companies, who have for years targeted the children. Yet they continue to be legal. You speak of things that obviously you have no first-hand knowledge of. Marijuana has medicinal properties, & is not a gateway drug. Most that go on to drugs, vs. a plant, have an addictive personality & each high must top the last. Have lost many friends to man-made poison, none to pot. Step away from the Reefer Madness era, it's been well-disproven to those interested in science instead of scare tactics.

Anonymous said...

Maryland is in the stone ages, it was decriminalized in NY stated back in the 80-90's
All you born here's need to step off the island once in awhile to see what is going on in the real world.
I love to watch people argue over their limited and uneducated points of view. Its like a free comedy show.

Anonymous said...

So I am guessing that everyone in favor of legalizing it, would have no problem letting their kids smoke it, or be exposed to it. Is the next step to put an age limit on it like cigarettes and alcohol. Are people going to be allowed to smoke this nasty crap in public?

lmclain said...

5:34....smack that ace! and 3:39...hate black people much? It is NOT black people arranging the shipment and import of tons of drugs. Its WHITE Coast Guard commanders. WHITE Senators and businessmen. WHITE millionaires. WHITE Border Patrol agents.
And 4:05, does the "lazy and stupid" label apply to the U.S. Presidents (!!) that have admitted smoking pot? Or the astrophysicists and computer geniuses who have also come out in favor of it? How about the judges and lawyers (yeah, in THIS town, too) who rail against drugs, then go home and hit a joint? Or attend house parties of the area's prominent businessmen where a plate of cocaine is on the rec room coffee table?
Some of you brainwashed alcoholics and smokers (now THERE are some REALLY dangerous drugs) are so far out of touch that it must take light years for thoughts to bounce off the inside of your head. And THAT assumes, perhaps incorrectly, that you have THOUGHTS and not just a tape of what someone else said, playing on a loop.

Anonymous said...

great next up, heroin for babies? meth for grade schoolers? acid for high schoolers? no more Prozac or adderal just the good stuff right? mushrooms anyone?.

Anonymous said...

adderall is the good meth, it's pharmaceutical grade