Yesterday afternoon – Governor Schwarznegger signed a new law that lowers possession of up to one ounce of marijuana to a mere summons or infraction rather than a misdemeanor. Basically having the stuff and getting caught would be similar to getting a speeding ticket. According to Fox News:
Schwarzenegger said after signing Senate Bill 1449 that he does not support decriminalization of marijuana, but the law would save the state courts money.
“In this time of drastic budget cuts, prosecutors, defense attorneys, law enforcement and the courts cannot afford to expend limited resources prosecuting a crime that carries the same punishment as a traffic ticket,” the governor said in a statement.
The bill authored by San Francisco Democratic Sen. Mark Leno was supported by the Judicial Council of California — the official policymaking body of the court system — and by the California District Attorneys Association.
California’s major police associations all opposed the legislation.
Opponents said reducing possession to an infraction would discourage people cited for the offense from seeking state-funded drug treatment as provided for drug offenders under a ballot measure passed in 2000.
The governor signed the pot law as state voters prepare to weigh in on a closely watched ballot measure to legalize marijuana for recreational use — a measure Schwarzenegger opposes.
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