SCHWARZENEGGER SIGNS BILL TO REDUCE POT POSSESSION PENALTY

A speeding ticket. Possessing an ounce or less of marijuana.

It's all the same, according to a bill signed late Thursday by Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger that reduces possession of an ounce or less of
marijuana from a misdemeanor to an infraction, with a maximum
punishment of a $100 fine.

"In this time of drastic budget cuts, prosecutors, defense attorneys,
law enforcement, and the courts cannot afford to expend limited
resources prosecuting a crime that carries the same punishment as a
traffic ticket," Schwarzenegger said after signing Senate Bill 1449.

As a misdemeanor, possession of up to an ounce of pot was still
punishable by a $100 fine only and no jail time. But offenders also
faced arrest, a possible court appearance and a criminal record.

Local marijuana advocates applauded the bill.

"That's a step in the right direction, even if it's for the wrong
reasons," said Clare Lundy, director of Calm Collective, a mobile
medical marijuana dispensary in Rancho Cucamonga.

After signing the bill, Schwarzenegger said he opposed
decriminalizing the possession and recreational use of marijuana.

He also voiced opposition to Proposition 19, which is on the November
ballot, calling it a "deeply flawed measure" that will adversely
impact California's businesses without bringing in the tax revenues
promised by its supporters.

Proposition 19 would more or less make the new law irrelevant by
legalizing possession of up to an ounce for personal use for adults
21 and older.

Schwarzenegger said he supported S.B. 1449 because it would save the
state courts money.

The bill authored by San Francisco Democratic Sen. Mark Leno was
supported by the Judicial Council of California - the official
policymaking body of the court system - and by the California
District Attorneys Association.

California's major police associations all opposed the legislation.

Fontana Police Chief Rodney Jones opposed the bill, saying marijuana
is harmful for people.

"I think philosophically . . . the reason why I oppose this bill is,
we can't keep decriminalizing this type of behavior," Jones said.

Paul Chabot, founder of the Coalition for a Drug Free California,
called the governor's action a "disturbing and disappointing" move
that will lead to more marijuana use and abuse. "It sounds like the
governor got . . . the same talking points of marijuana advocates,"
Chabot said. "This is a very symbolic gesture tipping the hand in
favor of those who want to legalize drugs."

Authorities made more than 61,000 arrests for marijuana-related
misdemeanors in 2008, the latest year for which data exists,
California Department of Justice records show.

In the prior decade, such arrests averaged about 48,000 until 2006,
when the figure exceeded 50,000 for the first time.