A proposal to decriminalize small amounts of cannabis will officially take effect on Thursday, October 1st in Maryland.

Senate Bill 364, which was signed into law by Governor Martin O’Malley in April, decriminalizes the possession of up to 10 grams of cannabis, making it a simple $100 ticket for someone’s first offense. A second offense will be a ticket of $250, and all subsequent tickets will carry a maximum fine of $500. Under no circumstance will the personal possession of up to 10 grams of cannabis result in a criminal charge under the new law.

Under current Maryland law, the possession of up to 10 grams of cannabis is a misdemeanor which carries with it a potential 90 day jail sentence.

According to polling released earlier this year, 72% of Maryland voters support decriminalizing cannabis.

TheJointBlog

The post Maryland Proposal to Decriminalize Cannabis Takes Effect Thursday appeared first on The Joint Blog.

Read this full story…..: Maryland Proposal to Decriminalize Cannabis Takes Effect Thursday