Legislation to Legalize Cannabis Announced in Washington D.C.
Washington D.C. Councilman David Grosso will officially introduce legislation next week aimed at legalizing recreational cannabis within the district.
According to Grosso, the proposal will legalize the possession and private cultivation of cannabis for those 21 and older, and will authorize state-licensed retail outlets to be regulated by the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration.
In July, a proposal was introduced in the D.C. council which decriminalizes the possession of up to an ounce of cannabis, reducing the penalty from a misdemeanor, to an $100 ticket; this proposal has the backing of at least 10 of the council’s 13 members, and will likely be voted on this month. However, advocates feel that it doesn’t go far enough, and that it’s time for full legalization.
“If we’re going to have alcohol legal in this country, I don’t see any reason why we couldn’t have marijuana legal,” says Grosso.
Whether or not the council will also get behind legalization is yet-to-be-seen, but we applaud Councilman Grosso for moving the conversation forward.
– TheJointBlog
