cannabisnews.com: Council Increases Marijuana Fine





Council Increases Marijuana Fine
Posted by CN Staff on February 11, 2003 at 14:16:44 PT
By Jeff Wright, The Register-Guard
Source: Register-Guard
The cost of getting caught with even a tiny amount of marijuana in Eugene will more than double next month. On a 6-1 vote and with little discussion, the Eugene City Council on Monday increased the maximum fine for possession of less than one ounce of marijuana to $250 from the current $100. The new amount goes into effect March 12. The change was sought by Eugene Municipal Court Judge Wayne Allen, who said the higher penalty is needed to motivate offenders to enroll in a new diversion program. 
Those who take the diversion will pay about $100 and be required to attend an all-day class.Allen said the rationale is not to raise revenues but rather to create a workable diversion program. He estimated that fines imposed last year for marijuana possession totaled around $40,000, but said the actual amount paid was substantially less.The diversion class will be offered by the University of Oregon's Substance Abuse Prevention Program, which already works with the city in offering a nationally recognized diversion program for individuals arrested as minors in possession of alcohol.Councilor Betty Taylor voted against the fine increase, calling it an unlikely deterrent to marijuana users. "It will hurt young people and poor people, usually both," she said.Taylor also questioned the effectiveness of a diversion program attended by people out of economic necessity rather than because they want to be there.At a public hearing last month, Allen was the only speaker among 10 to favor the change. Other speakers said an increased fine makes little sense at a time when other countries are moving toward outright legalization of marijuana, and will increase the public's disdain for police.Allen said then that one of the benefits of going through a marijuana diversion program rather than being convicted and paying a fine is that some student loan programs will not accept clients who have drug convictions.Councilor David Kelly said Monday he supports the new law solely because it will help some students avoid losing eligibility for financial aid. He said he will want to revisit the issue if he hears that the new law is used as a tool against people growing marijuana legally for medical purposes. The new penalty of $250 matches what the city already assesses people charged as minors in possession of alcohol.The city expects to have a minimum of 20 people ready to enroll in the first marijuana diversion class by early April.Possession of less than an ounce of marijuana in Oregon is a violation - similar to a traffic crime. State law calls for a fine of $500 to $1,000, but the cases are seldom handled in state court, falling instead to municipal courts that can set their own fine structures.Eugene's municipal court handled 560 of the cases in the fiscal year that ended June 30.Source: Register-Guard, The (OR)Author: Jeff Wright, The Register-GuardPublished: February 11, 2003Copyright: 2003 The Register-GuardContact: rgletters guardnet.comWebsite: http://www.registerguard.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:Hemp & Cannabis Foundationhttp://www.thc-foundation.org/OMMP -- Medical Marijuana Programhttp://www.ohd.hr.state.or.us/oaps/mm/Council Raises Fine for Weed Offenders http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15451.shtmlCouncil Will Vote on Pot Fine Increase http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15438.shtmlTestimony Opposes Pot Fine Increase http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15191.shtml
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