STONERS SALUTE ARNOLD, NOT OBAMA

Temecula, CA – In an historic moment mostly noted by the marijuana movement, SB 1449 was signed into law yesterday and is to take effect on January 1, 2011. The new law makes any pot possession an ounce or under an infraction that eliminates both a court room appearance and arrest record. "Gov. Schwarzenegger deserves credit for sparing the state's taxpayers the cost of prosecuting minor pot offenders," said California NORML director Dale Gieringer, "Californians increasingly recognize that the war on marijuana is a waste of law enforcement resources."

The new law will have an effect even if Californians vote to legalize marijuana by passing Prop 19. Prop 19 leaves misdemeanor possession penalties in place for public use and smoking in the presence of kids. However, under SB 1449 these offenses would be simple infractions. The bill, SB 1449 by Sen. Mark Leno, treats petty possession like a traffic ticket punishable by a simple $100 fine and no arrest record. Misdemeanor possession offenses have mounted to new highs in recent years, reaching 61,164 in 2009. California NORML originally called for making petty possession an infraction when the state passed its landmark decriminalization law in 1975. This marks the first time in 35 years that penalties for non-medical use of marijuana have been reduced in California.

In his signing statement, the Governor said he opposes decriminalization of recreational use of marijuana and opposes Prop 19, but "in this time of drastic budget cuts, prosecutors, defense attorneys, law enforcement, and the courts cannot afford to expend limited resources" prosecuting petty pot offenses, the Gubernator remarked. For the text of SB 1449 go here. Meanwhile this new law that makes Prop 19 a lot less needed in November so all people, stoners and MMJs, can relax, stay on the down-low, and wait for real relief from the Jack Herer initiative coming in 2012.