House lawmakers did not take action on House Bill 1046, legislation to amend state law so that minor marijuana offenders no longer face jail time, prior to a legislative deadline and therefore the legislation has been tabled for the remainder of this session.
If approved, the legislation would have made the first time possession of up to one ounce of marijuana punishable by a $ 250 fine and a clinical evaluation. The evaluation would have result in the offender participating in a substance abuse treatment program. Subsequent offenses would have resulted in a $ 500 fine for the second offense and $ 750 fine for the third offense.
Under existing law, marijuana possession offenses may be punishable by a misdemeanor criminal penalty and the potential of up to one year in jail.
Annually, some 32,000 Georgians are arrested for marijuana possession violations — the sixth highest statewide total in the nation. It’s unfortunate House members did not recognize the benefit of eliminating jail time for minor marijuana possession offenders but NORML would like to thank those of you who took the time to contact your state Representatives and urged their support for this measure.
Additional information regarding this and other pending marijuana law reform legislation is available by contacting Peachtree NORML or by following them on Facebook.
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws – Advocacy Campaigns
