By Associated Press
(AP) — A bill decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana has cleared a Delaware legislative panel and is headed to the House floor for a vote.
House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee members voted 5-to-4 Wednesday to release the bill after its chief sponsor said she would make several revisions to address concerns of police officials.
Read moreDelaware: House Committee Passes Cannabis Decriminalization Bill
Legislation to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis has been approved with a 9 to 3 vote by the Illinois Senate Criminal Law Committee. The bill has already been approved 63 to 53 by the state’s House of Representatives.
The proposal – which is now up for a full Senate vote – would make it so that those caught possessing 15 grams of cannabis or less would no longer face the possibility of jail time or a criminal charge. Instead, they would face a ticket of no more than $125. Under current Illinois law, the possession of up to 15 grams of cannabis is a misdemeanor which can result in imprisonment for up to a year.
Read moreCannabis Decrim Bill Passes Illinois Senate Committee, Already Passed House
Voters in 
Wichita, the largest city in Kansas, have approved an initiative to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis.
The initiative was approved with 54% in favor, 46% opposed, roughly the same percentage that approved legalization initiatives in 2012 in Colorado and Washington State.
The initiative decriminalizes the possession of up to 32 grams of cannabis for those 21 and older, making it a simple $50 civil infraction with no possibility of jail time. Under current Wichita law, the possession of even a miniscule amount of cannabis is a misdemeanor with a potential year-long jail sentence.
The Sante Fe City Council has voted in favor of decriminalizing the possession
of small amounts of cannabis after activists submitted enough signatures to put the issue to a vote this November.
Earlier this month the Sante Fe City Clerk verified that 5,754 valid signatures were submitted to put an initiative to decriminalize cannabis to a vote of the people, more than the 5,673 required. This sent the proposal to the City Council, which had the option of putting the proposal on the November ballot, or simply passing it into law; they chose the latter with a 5 to 4 vote.
Read moreSante Fe City Council Passes Proposal to Decriminalize Cannabis, Takes Effect Next Month
Jamaica will soon decriminalize the personal possession of cannabis, and will also allow
possession for medical, religious and scientific purposes, according to an announcement made today by Justice Minister Mark Golding.
According to the announcement, the cabinet is supporting a soon-to-be-released proposal to decriminalize the possession of up to two ounces of cannabis, making it a simple fine rather than an arrestable offense.
Read moreJamaica Will Soon Decriminalize Cannabis Possession
As of Tuesday, October 1st, the possession of up to 10 grams of cannabis is no longer a criminal offen
se in Switzerland. Instead, it’s an $110 ticket.
Under this new law, the ticket associated with possessing up to 10 grams of cannabis won’t result in a court appearance, nor will it go on someone’s permanent record. This is expected to free up millions of dollars by saving on the enforcement costs of over 30,000 cannabis-related cases. Advocates claim that the new law will also free up police resources to focus on more serious crimes.
Read moreCannabis Possession Now Decriminalized in Switzerland