Decriminalization

A bill that would have ended the NYPD's abuse of New York's marijuana decriminalization law has been stymied by Senate Republicans.

Gov. Lincoln Chafee (I) signed marijuana decriminalization into law Tuesday. It goes into effect April 1, 2013.

Chicago looks set to pass a marijuana decriminalization ordinance later this month after Mayor Rahm Emanuel endorsed the effort.

A bill to make simple hard drug possession a misdemeanor instead of a felony was defeated in the California Senate by members who were afraid they could "see Amsterdam" on the horizon. Oh, the horror!

New York decriminalized pot possession 35 years ago, but NYPD keeps arresting and jailing people for "possession in public view" after forcing them to empty their pockets. Now, the governor and NYC mayor are behind a change in the law to prevent that practice.

Decriminalization bills passed both houses of the Rhode Island General Assembly Monday night. There are just a pair of housekeeping votes before the measure heads to Gov. Lincoln Chafee (I).

Marijuana decriminalization is just a pair of floor votes away from passage in the Rhode Island General Assembly after companion bills were approved by respective judiciary committees Tuesday.

A New Jersey marijuana decriminalization bill has passed its first hurdle, advancing out of the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

A bill that would decriminalize drug crop cultivation in Colombia has passed a first reading in the lower house, but the government opposes it.

The city council in the Virginia college town of Charlottesville had adopted a resolution calling on the state to consider decriminalizing or regulating marijuana, but balked at adding lowest law enforcement priority language.