Cook Co. Board votes to allow fines instead of jail for pot

suntimes.com - 17 weeks ago - 312 views

If you’re busted carrying a small amount of marijuana in portions of Cook County patrolled by the sheriff’s police, you may get off with just a ticket. In a move that caught the sheriff’s office off guard, the county board on Tuesday voted to decriminalize possession of less than 10 grams of pot in unincorporated areas of Cook County. Those are the parts of the county not claimed by Chicago or its suburbs.

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by kristenthometz 17 weeks 5 days ago

So far, 13 states have passed some form of decriminalization of marijuana. The laws vary, but generally people caught with small amounts face fines or drug rehab programs rather than jail time. In Illinois, possession of 2.5 grams or less is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine. Here are the 13 states:

Alaska

California

Colorado

Maine

Massachusetts

Minnesota

Mississippi

Nebraska

Nevada

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Oregon

Source: The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws

by kristenthometz 17 weeks 5 days ago

Mayor Daley's thoughts:

"We just had a ban on smoking. People say you can't smoke, they said, 'Please don't smoke.' And now everyone's saying, 'Let's all smoke marijuana.' I mean, after a while you wonder where America's going to," Daley said.

But when asked if he was against such a measure, Daley didn't take a position, saying he thought the issue is "really clouded."