Chicago Marijuana Ticketing Approved By City Council,Decriminalizes Low Level Offense

[amannamedtruth]

From the Huffington Post...

The Chicago City Council on Wednesday approved a measure that would allow police officers to ticket people found with small amounts of marijuana instead of arresting them.

Aldermen voted 43-3 in favor of the ordinance, under which anyone in possession of 15 grams of marijuana – roughly the equivalent of 15 marijuana cigarettes – faces a fine between $250 and $500.

Both Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy support the ordinance, and a marked jump in Chicago's homicide rate may have given the proposal more steam. Homicides are up by about 50 percent so far this year compared to the same period last year.

Several aldermen said the new law will allow police to spend more time on street patrols and less on processing people for the minor offense of possessing small amounts of marijuana. Alderman Danny Solis, who sponsored the measure, estimated the city would receive $7 million a year in revenue....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/27/chicago-marijuana-ticketi_n_1631783.html?utm_hp_ref=chicago

 

[dank.frank]

YES YES YES...

THIS is the PROPER first step towards MMJ.

Good job, Chicago!! I always did love that city...


dank.Frank

 

[Space Ghost]

"voted 43-3 in favor of the ordinance"

wow, a landslide too...

 

[Prodigygrower]

hell ya now if they just get the med thing going i'd be really happy!

 

[stihgnobevoli]

pah!

while im glad people don't have to worry about jail time over silly shit like weed, it's not because chicago is such a grand progressive city. it's all about the $$$$ chicago is one giant trap waiting for you to set it off and cough up some dough. that is all.

fucking $250-$500 fines for $30 - $100 (depending on how much you got ripped off for that "loud") worth of weed. you were better off with the old system really where the judge would most likely throw out your case as a waste of time if the cops didn't just pocket your shit and send you on your way.

that mayor rahm, all about the bottom line...lining his pockets that is.

also that medical thing, prolly never gonna happen unless there is big $$$ attached. they've been sitting on that one for years now. goes to the house, gets stalled, expires, gotta start over again. and again and again...and again

 

[Prodigygrower]

I know what you mean bro i prayed it would pass last year and it didnt really sucked amnd the mayor's wife uses med cannabis i dnt understand its fucked up

 

[Abja Roots]

Finally. Now all we need is to get some medical out there. Love the Chi.

As the economy has faltered, it's definitely gotten more violent in all those areas where people are pressed together in urban situations. Incarceration leads to violence, which leads to further incarceration. The cycle continues.

It shouldn't even be a fine, but it's better than the alternative.

 

[touringfunkband]

I know what you mean bro i prayed it would pass last year and it didnt really sucked amnd the mayor's wife uses med cannabis i dnt understand its fucked up

Where did you read about the mayor's wife using medical marijuana? I googled it but couldn't find anything relative..

 

[hamstring]

I was talking to someone about this yesterday. Although i agree it’s all about the $$frog skins$$ there are some good things that will come out of this.

Coming from a non-med state myself the thing I believe it will change the most is societies (Chicago Society) view of MJ.
This will change the minds of all those who were sitting on the fence of whether MJ is good/bad. I’m sure it wont change all minds but many take a view that if its illegal its bad no gray area.

When you decriminalize something people as a whole now look at this much like a traffic ticket. I mean a traffic ticket is still breaking the law but it is not a societal taboo to speed. MJ will become much like this and once that happens the momentum of Medical MJ will be much greater.

As an example of how it works both ways take a look at cigarette smoking in general. Societies view of it has changed greatly due to the restrictions (right or wrong) they have put on it. Go back to the 50's and you were an outcast if you didn’t smoke now it’s the other way around. They haven't passed any laws to outright outlaw cigarette smoking but society has. It’s not nearly as accepted as it once was.

Yes laws make a huge difference but I would like to suggest that societal acceptance will push to change laws. When grandma church lady has a grandson who smokes pot and she looks at it like a speeding ticket so goes the rest of the society.
PEACE

 

[Behind_The_Mask]

hamstring nailed it

step in the right direction

once it becomes "normal" we can finally just live our lives

i think we are pretty close

 

[They]

I don't see how this could be seen as a shake down. This is more in line with alcohol in public. Drunk in public get a fine, open container get a fine. Leave your dope at home with your booze and you should be fine. They are saving shit tons of money and time buy not hauling people to jail or issuing a summons to take up the courts time with petty shit. Time is the biggest savings since no matter how much money you have you can't buy more of it. maybe the cops and courts can start fighting real crimes.

 

[stihgnobevoli]

where the hell do you live? ill go outside right now and take a picture of both a drunk in public, a person drinking in public and a cop all in one shot. and i assure you the police will not be arresting either of the first 2 people mentioned.

it's all about the dough trust me.

 

[supermanlives]

sounds like they are tapping a new resource. stoners. bet they make a killing

 

[usda101]

Its all a money grab ! ASk Rahm about is the $250 on top of the $1200 he wants to get my vehicle back if they pull me over with it . or is he going to reduce the price to get my vehicle back ? And everyone waiting on dispensories can forget it. Chicago Politicians cater to preachers an pimps an pussy ass cops more than any other city . And you cant get elected without them . And its nothing the cops can do about our murder rate , Except bring they ass to the table an ask for peace , And why ask for peace when your gang aint the one taking loses LOl they dont care. Check the stats i can count 5 murders in the past Few months less the 2 miles from there New station .They gotta be the worst in the nation .

 

[GP73LPC]

another positive step for the movement

 

[d3cryption]

cheers.... I'll take that a ticket over jail time anyday......

i can see it now
half oz of regular weed 250 fine
half oz of kush $500

but if you're gonna get a ticket make sure it's worth it... lol...

 

[usda101]

No doubt about that.

 

[guest3901]

This is good.it will free up cops to fight the plague on the south and west sides of the city.
The feds brought down the leaders of major gangs in chitown(people,folk).said gangs have splintered off into many sects due to no leadership or structure.
And these fucks have no regard for anything or anyone.
As long as they get that corner so they can poison their neighborhood.
2 days ago a 7 year old girl was playing outside,shot in the chest by a bullet meant for a gangbanger..she died.
why can't the CPD come out in force like they did with the NATO summit..?
Anyways,yeah it's a good thing..and the extra income will pay for more cameras on street lights..watching,keeping you safe..LOL.
BTW..if your ever in Chicago,leave your smartphone in your pocket.and try to avoid the red line..

 

[d3cryption]

If the gods are fucking you, you find a way to fuck them back. This is Chicago gentlemen, the gods will not safe you......

arawn: I doubt the extra income will go towards extra cameras.... hell only about half of them work.... on the other hand i can see more red light cameras being install.... which means, their will be a shit load of people on the boot list from getting 2x-3x tickets a day...

 

[guest3901]

I'm sure all cameras in Chicago are streaming live..
Chicago has a major homeland security network.after all it is the third largest city in the USA.
I'm not really liking the states Med cannabis outlook,which comes back up for a vote in November.
Oh yeah,it was all good a few years ago.you could grow a certain # of plants in a certain amount of space..but now this new bill only allows one one grow op per county.
And if you want to have one of these you have to pay 30k for the license? ,buy the building,security..ect..
And Illinois has a specific list of ailments that must be proven by a state doc.

Fuck that..I'll stay underground.