By Mike Lillis | The Hill
Congress will now have to decide if it wants to try to block a marijuana decriminalization measure signed Monday by D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray (D).
After the D.C. Council approved the measure earlier this month, some conservatives on Capitol Hill warned of negative effects the changes would have on both the economy and public health in the nation’s capital. But GOP leaders — including those on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which has jurisdiction over the D.C. government — were non-committal about their next move.
Under the bill, smoking pot in public would remain a jailable criminal offense. But those found carrying small amounts of the drug, or smoking it in the privacy of their homes, would face civil penalties of just $25 in lieu of criminal charges.
With the change, D.C. moves closer to legalizing marijuana for recreational use, as Colorado and Washington state have already done. More than 20 states, as well as the District, have legalized the drug for medical use.
