[megayields]

https://www.breitbart.com/article.php...show_article=1

Chicago pot smokers may soon be able to light up without fear of jail time. Several Windy City councilmen said Thursday they plan to introduce a local law that would decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana in order to cut costs and free up police to handle more serious crimes.
Chicago police make about 23,000 arrests each year for possession of the drug, a misdemeanor which nevertheless carries stiff punishment of up to six months in jail, a $1,500 fine and a criminal record.
Under the new law set to be introduced next week, people caught with less than 10 grams of marijuana would instead face a $200 fine and up to 10 hours of community service.
Marijuana has already been downgraded to a lesser offense in several Chicago suburbs and areas of Cook County patrolled by the sheriff's department.
Some 11 US states have also decriminalized possession of small amounts of pot and 18 states allow its use for medical purposes, according to the pro-marijuana group NORML.
Enforcing marijuana prohibition costs US taxpayers $10 billion and results in the arrests of 853,000 people a year, NORML said.
Cook County Commissioner John Fritchey told reporters that the proposed law makes sense.
"It is not time to act tough on crime; it is (time) to be smart on crime. We need our resources spent somewhere else," he said.

[RetroGrow]

Looks like Chicago will be decriminalizing small amounts up to 10 grams. a bit of good news:

"Chicago pot smokers may soon be able to light up without fear of jail time.

Several Windy City councilmen said Thursday they plan to introduce a local law that would decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana in order to cut costs and free up police to handle more serious crimes.

Chicago police make about 23,000 arrests each year for possession of the drug, a misdemeanor which nevertheless carries stiff punishment of up to six months in jail, a $1,500 fine and a criminal record.

Under the new law set to be introduced next week, people caught with less than 10 grams of marijuana would instead face a $200 fine and up to 10 hours of community service.

Marijuana has already been downgraded to a lesser offense in several Chicago suburbs and areas of Cook County patrolled by the sheriff's department.

Some 11 US states have also decriminalized possession of small amounts of pot and 18 states allow its use for medical purposes, according to the pro-marijuana group NORML.

Enforcing marijuana prohibition costs US taxpayers $10 billion and results in the arrests of 853,000 people a year, NORML said.

Cook County Commissioner John Fritchey told reporters that the proposed law makes sense.

"It is not time to act tough on crime; it is (time) to be smart on crime. We need our resources spent somewhere else," he said."

https://www.breitbart.com/article.php...show_article=1

[RetroGrow]

It seems they are coming to their collective senses in Chicago. Citing the costs involved in arresting and prosecuting 23,000 people per year, several city council members decided enough was enough.
They are proposing to decriminalize possession of up to 10 grams.
Enforcing prohibition costs taxpayers $10 Billion per year according to NORML.
Another brick in the wall.

https://www.breitbart.com/article.php...show_article=1

[Tafari]

This is far from good news....... 10 fucking grams? And its doesn't mean you get to light up without arrest. If your caught smoking in public you'll go to jail like any other state including those that are medical. Its the possession which is decriminalized not the consumption. And if your stopped with less then 10 grams itll cost you $200 bucks.

Tafari

[fabvariousk]

^Yeah
I don't quite understand these people who celebrate the government and police finding a new way to cheaply steal money from innocent people.
It is not progress. Fuck punishment of any kind! Fuck permission of any kind!
No one has the right to tell another person they can and cannot consume cannabis.

[itisme]

I wonder what Odumba thinks about that!

[Midnight Rudy]

Originally Posted by Tafari

This is far from good news....... 10 fucking grams? And its doesn't mean you get to light up without arrest. If your caught smoking in public you'll go to jail like any other state including those that are medical. Its the possession which is decriminalized not the consumption. And if your stopped with less then 10 grams itll cost you $200 bucks.

Tafari

You guys are nuts. Not a criminal record means less consequences such as loss of jobs or student loans. $200 is nothing compared to the thousands that it will cost now PLUS jail time PLUS a criminal record. 10 grams is more than enough for personal use.

This isn't living the dream but it is a huge step in the right direction.

[Max Yields]

Only if "decriminalize" means that they want to find a way to make their own lives and work easier than how it already is. Too much wasted time and money on their part so in order for them to free up their time and still make money off of it is this solution that they came up with. This is still a pretty big step in the right direction though, but as stated before you can and will be locked up for smoking in public I assume. I'm not from there but I am familiar with that city. This whole country... shit the whole world needs to fully LEGALIZE and put cannabis to good use as it is intended to be. This is them doing things for their own benefit and profit still without the interests of our own personal freedom being considered (well maybe a little bit, but not enough IMO). The very least any law can do to be fair in my opinion is to allow at least one ounce possesion on you in public at all times and being able to smoke anywhere in public unless otherwise noted (or whatever appropriate designated areas would be such as gas pumps or firework factories and such or you know those pesky little "regulations" that may need common sense to apply). To me THAT would be progressive. This law that they are passing is still a tiny pebble knocked out of the great wall but the first brick would have to be as I stated above already. When can this be possible? Im not too into politics but maybe...Ron Paul perhaps..?

[ILL-IN-GROWER]

Originally Posted by Midnight Rudy

You guys are nuts. Not a criminal record means less consequences such as loss of jobs or student loans. $200 is nothing compared to the thousands that it will cost now PLUS jail time PLUS a criminal record. 10 grams is more than enough for personal use.

This isn't living the dream but it is a huge step in the right direction.

Yes sir Rudy

We've had decrim and medical bills in the IL house and senate too many years in a row to just watch them expire or get voted down...

It's nice to see a small step towards progressive reform in this state. Until we can legalize, no criminal record for possession of under 10g's sounds much better than a misdemeanor


While you all are sitting here, let's bump these IL house bills... Hit up your rep

I've included pics of the bill status pages for the paranoid ones out there that don't wanna click on the links to a gov page

Decrim statewide for less than an ounce.... HB100... Been stalled since March
https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/Bill...ionID=84&GA=97


Medical... HB30 Some gaping holes in this bill, but that's another thread topic 6 plants, 2 ounces, automatic repeal of the bill 3 years after it's passed...
https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/Bill...ionID=84&GA=97

[Too big for pics...]



One more fun tidbit of info...

Voting results from the last med bill. Go get em!!



ILL

[timmytucker]

I live in the burbs of Chicago. Not good news unless it bleeds threw the whole state. I've never visited a bad neigborhood in any other city but Chicago, and let me tell you this, You can get free needles all over. Theres methadone clinics everywhere too. On the westside if you pull off the interstate at the wrong exit, and you are white they assume your looking for crack or dope. Its messed up. Giving us 10 grams is more like BULLSHIT.