Marijuana Laws Are in a State of Flux

On Monday, April 1, 2014 the Mayor of Washington, DC, Vincent Gray, signed a bill that decriminalizes possession of up to one ounce of marijuana in the Unites States Capitol. The new law makes possession a civil violation with a penalty of $25.00 which is lower than most city parking tickets. Up until this time possession had been a criminal misdemeanor carrying a penalty of up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.00. The Constitution of the United States grants review of Washington, D.C.'s laws to the U.S. Congress. It will be interesting to see how Congress reacts because marijuana remains a criminal substance under federal law. It will take Congress up to sixty days to review Washington, D.C.'s actions.

Washington state, on the other hand, has legalized recreational marijuana in addition to medical marijuana having done so in 2012. Colorado also has legalized recreational marijuana. A vast majority of the states have medical marijuana laws. All of those laws are in conflict with federal law.The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has not acted at all on Marijuana and it is illegal to use recreationally. There is no legal way to obtain marijuana even for serious medical use as many doctors suggest is appropriate.It is obvious from all of the above that some uniform way of looking at marijuana should be implemented.