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Stroger Won't Block Move To Decriminalize Pot 
Posted by CN Staff on July 24, 2009 at 09:14:33 PT
By Lisa Donovan, Cook County Reporter 
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
Illinois -- Cook County Board President Todd Stroger said Thursday he won't stand in the way of legislation to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.This week, the County Board approved a measure allowing sheriff's police to issue a $200 ticket for possessing 10 grams or less of marijuana in unincorporated parts of the county.
The ordinance took Stroger, the sheriff and others by surprise, and the board president said he was mulling a veto.But Thursday, he told the Chicago Sun-Times he's OK with the legislation, calling it just another option for sheriff's police, who will have the discretion to arrest someone on misdemeanor charges -- particularly a repeat offender."I'm fine with it. It's just another tool a law enforcement [officer] can use," Stroger said."It's also like anything else, [officers] can also check and see the background of a person, and if they've been fined twice, they can say, 'OK you're going in.' It doesn't take their ability away from doing that," he said.Stroger questioned the prudence of constantly sending people to jail for such offenses.Under current state law, someone carrying more than 2.5 grams and up to 10 grams of marijuana could be arrested on a Class B misdemeanor, which carries a penalty of up to 6 months in jail. Someone carrying 2.5 grams or less could be convicted of a Class C misdemeanor, which carries a penalty of up to 30 days in jail.But under the new county ordinance, which takes effect in two months, the person could be slapped with a ticket and walk away without a criminal conviction.The idea was the brain child of Commissioner Earlean Collins, who said it gives kids who make a mistake -- as her grandson once did -- a second chance without spending the night in jail or getting a rap sheet.The ordinance was passed quietly Tuesday, when the board made big news by reducing the highly controversial sales tax increase pushed through a year ago.Sheriff's officers made 173 arrests on misdemeanor charges last year and, to date, about 150 this year -- but a small percentage of those were made in unincorporated parts of the county, said spokesman Steve Patterson. The sheriff's office didn't immediately have a breakdown of those statistics.Five years ago, Mayor Daley embraced a similar measure for Chicago that went nowhere, but this week, the mayor ridiculed the county's pot ordinance, saying: "People say you cannot smoke. ... They said, 'Please don't smoke.' Now, everybody's saying, 'Let's all smoke marijuana.' After a while, you wonder where America is going."Asked about the mayor's criticism, Stroger dismissed it, saying: "He's one citizen."Asked whether he has smoked pot, Stroger said: "No, not my kind of thing."Source: Chicago Sun-Times (IL)Author: Lisa Donovan, Cook County Reporter Published: July 23, 2009Copyright: 2009 The Sun-Times Co.Contact: letters suntimes.com Website: http://www.suntimes.com/ URL: http://drugsense.org/url/7sQOwPrBRelated Articles:Decriminalizing Pot in Cook County Make Sense http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24940.shtmlCook County Going To Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24937.shtml
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Comment #10 posted by Hope on July 25, 2009 at 10:15:51 PT
Cook County....
Good gracious! Sakes alive!Not being from the area and familiar with it... I hadn't realized until just now, after a search on Cook County, Illinois, how actually HUGE this is.Oh my gosh... it's huge in the national scheme of things!About Cook County http://www.co.cook.il.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=346&parentname=CommunityPage&parentid=0&mode=2&in_hi_userid=2&cached=true"Cook County is an urban county in the upper northeastern section of the State of Illinois that contains more than 800 local governmental units within its boundaries. With a population of approximately 5.3 million people, it is the second most populous county in the nation and the 19th largest government in the United States (2005 census statistics)."
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Comment #9 posted by christ on July 25, 2009 at 09:09:23 PT
POLL
The online paper that published this story has a poll. No need to register; ok to just select your opinion.http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/index.html
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Comment #8 posted by Hope on July 24, 2009 at 17:03:13 PT
Unemployment doesn't fit well...RChandar
but your book was recently published. That's an accomplishment.Maybe you should look into a career change. Journalism or publishing or something else different. Maybe something you really might find fulfilling. Volunteering at the Library might be liberating.Dang. Mom was a little harsh on you there. Glad you were able to resolve it, though.
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Comment #7 posted by Question Authority on July 24, 2009 at 15:15:06 PT
I'm too sexy for my shirt LOL
Love me, love my shirt.
Please don't throw dirt
at my self or my yurt,
just love me, love my shirt.
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Comment #6 posted by Hope on July 24, 2009 at 14:37:14 PT
I'm glad the situation is eased, RChandar.
I'm sorry to hear when something like that happens. I'm sure it certainly doesn't help when things are so stressful already. 
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Comment #5 posted by rchandar on July 24, 2009 at 14:28:15 PT:
Hope
Thanks. She apologized later though, explaining the shirt was "too tight."Alas, unemployment not fitting me well.
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Comment #4 posted by Hope on July 24, 2009 at 11:44:30 PT
RChandar
Oh my!Stay courageous and reasonable.
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Comment #3 posted by rchandar on July 24, 2009 at 11:38:11 PT:
Unbelievable
My parents want to disown me because I wear a green t-shirt with trees printed on it. thought you'd like to know.--rchandar
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Comment #2 posted by Hope on July 24, 2009 at 10:51:24 PT
Cook County Board President Todd Stroger
I'm so glad to hear this. I've been pretty tense about it. I'm so glad he signed it.A little more light in the darkness.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on July 24, 2009 at 09:19:01 PT
Good News
Another small step. Cannabis might help calm cities if they would let it happen.
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