Residents of the District of Columbia will no longer face jail time for smoking marijuana in their private homes thanks to a measure that passed a Council in the nation's capitol Tuesday.
According to the Washington Post, Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) intends to sign the measure, a spokesman said, putting District drug law in conflict with federal law. The signed measure will go to Congress, which has veto authority over D.C. laws but has organized to override only three times since 1979.
The measure — which slid through the council by a 10 to 1 margin — is evidence of the growing tide of marijuana legalization all across the country. This measure adds momentum to similar measures in Oregon and Alaska, already slated for legalization in 2014.
The Washington City Paper reports, on the macro level, this measure will reduce the damage of racially disparate enforcement of the city's marijuana laws. On the micro level, though, getting stoned is now a little more complicated.
The measure doesn't offer legalization on par with Colorado or Washington — it simply replaces jail time for posession with a fine. But breathe easy, under the legislation, anyone carrying an ounce or less of marijuana will receive the $25 penalty.
"We are taking a significant step to correct the continuing social injustice caused by a failed war on drugs," Council member Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), the lead author of the bill told the Washington Post.
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