A bipartisan pair of lawmakers in Pennsylvania have announced that they will soon be refiling legislation that would decriminalize the personal possession of marijuana.
Under the proposed law, introduced by Senators Sharif Street (D) and Camera Bartolotta (R), the personal possession of marijuana would become, at most, a $25 fine. Consuming marijuana in public would be a fine of up to $100.
Under current Pennsylvania law, even a miniscule amount of marijuana is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days and jail and a driver’s license suspension of six month
“In the near future, we will reintroduce SB107 from the previous session which amends Pennsylvania’s Controlled Substances Act changing the grading of possession of a “small amount” of marijuana from a misdemeanor to a summary offense”, states a memo sent by the two lawmakers.
The lawmakers note that despite the state legalizing medical marijuana in 2016, “we still criminalize recreational cannabis and incarcerate those who possess small amounts of it. This seems injudicious and, frankly, inappropriate.”
The memo notes that “Each year in Pennsylvania, thousands of people are charged with minor possessory offenses. These charges permanently stain records and hinder an individual’s ability to obtain work, housing, and childcare. This legislation would ensure that the lives ordinary Pennsylvanians are not burdened by these insignificant charges.”
The two legislators say that this legislation “is based on local ordinances already in place in Pittsburg, Philadelphia and Erie.”
They conclude the memo by stating that “Too many Pennsylvanians are facing criminal penalties just for possessing a small amount of cannabis, which is medically legal. Please join us in co-sponsoring this legislation. If you have any questions, feel free to contact either of our offices.”
