Maryland to Decriminalize Pot

Maryland governor Martin O’Malley announced on Monday that he will sign a bill decriminalizing possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana. By a vote of 34-to-8, the state senate gave final approval to the legislation that would replace criminal sanctions for small amounts of marijuana possessions with only civil fines. At least 24 other states have either decriminalized marijuana, approved it for medical usage, or outright legalized it. O’Malley said of the bill, “I now think that [it] is an acknowledgment of the low priority that our courts, our prosecutors, our police and the vast majority of citizens already attach to this transgression of public order and public health.”