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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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US AR: Marijuana Bill Altered, On Hold
ccguide Wednesday 21 Mar 2001 Pubdate: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (AR) Copyright: 2001 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Contact: Address: 121 East Capitol Avenue, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72201 Website: http://www.ardemgaz.com/ Forum: http://www.ardemgaz.com/info/voices.html Author: Chris Osher, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette MARIJUANA BILL ALTERED, ON HOLD A provision that would have allowed for the expungement of any felony or misdemeanor originating from simple possession of marijuana after 1968 appeared headed for defeat Monday. But the rest of Senate Bill 861 by Sen. John Riggs, D-Little Rock, that would prohibit future felony convictions for possession of an ounce or less of marijuana, remains alive. The Senate Judiciary Committee took up the bill Monday, and Riggs said he agreed with criticism that the section dealing with past arrests was confusing. An amendment by the committee deleted the retroactive portion of the bill, but the committee took no final vote. Riggs told the committee he drafted the legislation because he believes criminally prosecuting for possession of an ounce or less of marijuana takes a toll on the state's prison system and strains the budgets of prosecutors and courts. Laura Shue of Little Rock, staff attorney for the office of the prosecutor coordinator, said a poll of prosecuting attorneys throughout the state found opposition to the bill. Prosecutors fear that expunging past criminal records would burden staff and the bill is confusing as to what charges could be expunged. She said in an interview that the prosecuting attorneys will be polled again if the bill is changed to apply to future arrests. A revised bill will come before the committee Wednesday. Glen Schwarz, president of the Arkansas chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said in an interview that he'll still support the bill even if it doesn't apply to past convictions. He said that 8,000 people are arrested annually in Arkansas for possession of marijuana, about 68 percent of the drug possession arrests in the state. Shue said that Arkansas Code Annotated 5-64-401 (C) makes it a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 1 year in jail and up to a $1,000 fine, to possess an ounce or less of marijuana. That law makes a second offense for such possession a Class D felony, punishable by up to six years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. A third offense is a Class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. Under the bill, anybody possessing one ounce or less of marijuana would be "guilty of a violation, punishable by a fine of not more than $200." Schwarz said that 11 other states -- Alaska, Oregon, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, North Carolina, New York and Maine - -- enacted similar legislation in the 1970s. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D
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