[DiamondSmiles]

The Huffington Post
By Andy Campbell

09/08/2014

Pretty soon, you won't be considered a criminal for carrying around a little weed in Philadelphia.

Philly Mayor Michael Nutter confirmed Monday that he will sign a Bill into law that will make his City the largest in America to decriminalize marijuana possession, Philly Magazine reports. Essentially, it softens the penalty for such an offense from possible jail time to a $25 fine.

Nutter wasn't a fan of the Bill in the past, but, he told KYW Newsradio that he agreed to sign the Bill -- with a caveat -- because he's seen too many of his citizens slapped with charges for small amounts of pot.

"So, I think the agreement ends up putting the City and our citizens in a much better place," Nutter told CBS News, noting that signing the bill won't be the same as condoning marijuana use.

Though earlier reports have stated that Nutter would sign the Bill this week, it'll likely take another two. He arrived at a compromise with City Councilman Jim Kenney, who originally sponsored the Bill in May.

Nutter's tweak will tack on a $100 fine for smoking in public, which can be waived with a few hours of public service. Kenney's Bill will be amended Thursday by the council and get a final vote two weeks later before it shows up on Nutter's desk again.

Kenney says the amendment is still a whole lot better than Philadelphia's current law, which punishes any marijuana possession with at least a $200 fine, a drug abuse course and an arrest record, according to Mic.

"We’ve gotten to a place where it is out of the criminal realm,” Kenney told KYW Newsradio. “There’s no more handcuffs, no more bookings, no more criminal record ... We have so many people that we are putting in the prison pipeline, and the poverty pipeline, because a criminal record is a debilitating thing.”

Anyone who gets cited would be summonsed to appear before a Municipal Court judge, but, they won't leave with a criminal record.

It could save the Philadelphia Police Department about $4 million each year, as well as spare some 4,000 people from being arrested, Kenney says.

Read the full Bill here:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/239004502/...alization-Bill

I don't smoke anything, but, we do have more than enough crime to keep the police busy.

[Nasty Nuggets]

This should be a federal law.

[OhJstFkOffAlrdy]

Nothing should be a federal law.

[azdesertsnake01]

Puff puff give motherfucker!

[DiamondSmiles]

I like the Cheech and Chong size joint!

(Camera angle really.)

[Shadedwill]

They'll just charge you in county or state.

[Oswald2001]

Originally Posted by Shadedwill ↗

They'll just charge you in county or state.

Hopefully will become a less and less likely event.

[Mr Poo]

The title of this article is extremely stupid..

It's not decriminalized if there is still a ticket for it first of all, secondly there are two STATES that have already actually fully done that.

[azdesertsnake01]

Originally Posted by have2poo ↗

The title of this article is extremely stupid..

It's not decriminalized if there is still a ticket for it first of all, secondly there are two STATES that have already actually fully done that.

I haven't done any research on it, but just off the top of my head, I believe you are incorrect on this. It says they are the largest "CITY" to decriminalize it. Not the largest state.

Again, I haven't researched it, but is there a city in one of the two states that has a larger population than Philly? I don't think Denver does for instance.

Also, decriminalize is the correct term. That means it's no longer a criminal offense punishable by jail time or even a jail visit.

No mug shot, finger printing, etc. It is now a "civil" matter the same as a parking ticket. A parking ticket for instance is NOT a criminal offense. Now, you just mail in your payment for the ticket so you can do your part to keep the pockets of the local bureaucracy fat.

After all, it's all about the money. Originally it was about them getting money by putting people through the court system over weed. Now, they have passed so many bullshit laws that the court systems are constipated. So they are starting to figure, let's just get some money from weed smokers via tickets and keep things moving.

They NOW realize that once they start incarcerating weed smokers, they start losing money housing them. So they go in the hole rather than fill their pockets! Simple addition and subtraction like we learn starting in the first grade, lol. But they are JUST now starting to see it.

[Mr Poo]

Originally Posted by azdesertsnake01 ↗

I haven't done any research on it, but just off the top of my head, I believe you are incorrect on this. It says they are the largest "CITY" to decriminalize it. Not the largest state.

Again, I haven't researched it, but is there a city in one of the two states that has a larger population than Philly? I don't think Denver does for instance.

Also, decriminalize is the correct term. That means it's no longer a criminal offense punishable by jail time or even a jail visit.

No mug shot, finger printing, etc. It is now a "civil" matter the same as a parking ticket. A parking ticket for instance is NOT a criminal offense. Now, you just mail in your payment for the ticket so you can do your part to keep the pockets of the local bureaucracy fat.

After all, it's all about the money. Originally it was about them getting money by putting people through the court system over weed. Now, they have passed so many bullshit laws that the court systems are constipated. So they are starting to figure, let's just get some money from weed smokers via tickets and keep things moving.

They NOW realize that once they start incarcerating weed smokers, they start losing money housing them. So they go in the hole rather than fill their pockets! Simple addition and subtraction like we learn starting in the first grade, lol. But they are JUST now starting to see it.

I fully comprehend the semantics, my point was the sensationalized nature of the article title..