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Conn. Senate votes for pot decriminalization bill

Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney, D-New Haven, stressed that lawmakers were not legalizing marijuana.

“We are not enforcing the use of illegal drugs. We strongly disapprove of their use, but we’re trying to realign their punishment that is more appropriate,” he said, adding that the state should be focusing its scarce criminal justice resources on dangerous offenders.

Under the bill, possession of less than a half-ounce of marijuana would no longer be a misdemeanor. Instead, it would result in a $150 fine for a first offense and a fine ranging from $200 to $500 for subsequent offenses. Those under 21 years old would face a 60-day driver’s license suspension, similar to the existing penalty for possessing alcohol.

Under current law, possession of marijuana is a misdemeanor, punishable by a possible jail term and larger fines: $1,000 for a first offense and $3,000 for subsequent offenses.