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The proposed decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana in D.C. will take another step closer to becoming a reality tomorrow, when the Council will meet for the final reading and vote for the Marijuana Possession Decriminalization Amendment Act of 2014.
The bill, introduced by Councilmember Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), would remove criminal penalties for possession of up to one ounce of marijuana, reducing it to a civil fine of $25. The bill also removes penalties for possession of paraphernalia as well as specifying that individuals can’t be searched simply for suspicion of marijuana possession.
But the bill doesn’t quite do what Wells intended it to when he first introduced it. Language that would also treat consumption of marijuana in public as a civil charge, with just a $100 fine, was removed by an amendment proposed by Council Chair Phil Mendelson, watering down Wells’ original bill.
And some want the bill to change again. In a release, Councilmember Vincent Orange (D-At Large) says he plans to again introduce an amendment that would prohibit employers from testing for marijuana use in the hiring process. “This amendment does not interfere with workplace rules set forth by the employer,” Orange said in a statement. “This amendment ensures that applicants are not tested for marijuana during the hiring process. If marijuana use is decriminalized in the District, then testing during the hiring process should mirror testing for alcohol use. Since employers do not test for alcohol use during the hiring process, it is biased to test for marijuana use during the hiring process.”