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D.C. Council Votes to Decriminalize Small Amounts of Marijuana
Cross-posted from LBN
Source: WRC-TV, channel 4 in DC, and Associated Press
D.C. Council Votes to Decriminalize Small Amounts of Marijuana
Tuesday, Mar 4, 2014 | Updated 3:10 PM EST
The D.C. Council voted Tuesday in favor of a bill to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.
The vote was little more than a formality. The council had already approved decriminalization by an 11-to-1 vote. But before that initial vote, the council watered down the bill by maintaining criminal penalties for smoking pot in public.
The district would join the 17 states that have some form of decriminalization.
Councilmember Tommy Wells, the bill's lead sponsor, says the district will have one of the nation's strongest decriminalization policies because the civil fine for possession will be just $25. However, he is concerned that racial disparities will persist among those arrested for smoking.
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Copyright Associated Press / NBC4 Washington