By Terry James
SPRINGFIELD – Possession of small amounts of marijuana would be treated like a traffic ticket under a bill passed by the Legislature in Illinois.
The bill is headed to the Governor’s desk.
Marijuana Policy Project spokesman Chris Lindsay says under the bill, possessing 15 grams or less would equal a $125 fine and would be expunged from the person’s record. He says that creates opportunities for people who would have been excluded from jobs and student loans. He also says it will help with prison overcrowding.
“The voters foot the bill when somebody has to go to jail,” says Lindsay. “They saw the dollars and said ‘Ya know, most folks in our state don’t support treating these folks like criminals and why are we spending all the money’”
Lindsay says under current Illinois law, possession of up to 2.5 grams of marijuana is a class C misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail and/or a fine of up to $1,500.
Terry James can be reached at terry@wjbc.com.
