By Matthew Hendley | Phoenix New Times
Some Democratic lawmakers are proposing that marijuana possession in Arizona should no longer be a felony.
It’s not legalization, but it is decriminalization — 13 Democrats have teamed up to offer a bill that proposes the penalty for possessing less than an ounce of pot be a “civil penalty” of $100 or less.
Under House Bill 2474, possession of less than an ounce of marijuana would be more like a traffic ticket instead of a felony conviction that goes on someone’s record for life.
More than a dozen other states already have similar decriminalization laws, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
Statement by Ryan Hurley, director of the Rose Law Group Medical Marijuana Dept.: “It is good to see the legislature looking at these issues. The time for reform is long past due. The penalties for marijuana use are by far the worst effect on the users. Far too many young lives are being ruined by a felony charge that never goes away.”
Related: Patrick Kennedy to President Obama: Pot has changed
