Washington DC Council Passes Bill Decriminalizing Marijuana Possession

A D.C. Council has approved a bill that would decriminalize the possession of less than one ounce of pot, according to a report by the Associated Press.

The District of Columbia Council moved the bill through on Tuesday with a 10-1 vote. If the proposed legislation is passed into law, Washington D.C. will become the 18th state to decriminalize marijuana possession.

The city's mayor Vincent Gray backs the bid, and officials say members of Congress won't block the measure when it reaches their desktops. Most expect that the bill will become law, AP reported.

The proposed legislation will lower fines for possession to $25, and cops can't perform civilian searches if they pick up the scent of weed. Tommy Wells, a Democrat who is heading up the bill, said this push will be among the United States' most stringent decriminalization regulations.

"It really begins to get at the issue of how much harm has been caused by criminalizing," Wells told the Associated Press. Holding marijuana "will no longer be a reason to arrest you, a reason to frisk you, a reason to detain you," under the new proposal.

Wells told AP that he backed the bill because he wanted to see a change in the disproportionate amount of young people, particularly blacks, who are arrested, charged and fined for low-level drug crimes. He also added that being incarcerated or involved with the law in a negative way at such an age can be detrimental for later life.

According to a study published by the American Civil Liberties Union, black citizens were eight times more likely to be stopped, searched and arrested for marijuana possession than whites in D.C. in 2010.

Although most on the board back the bill, some said this could be an excuse to bolster pot smoking in the area.

Vincent Orange, who is running for mayor alongside Tommy Wells, said on Tuesday that his opponent hadn't fully thought out potential repercussions of the law.

"Why are we rushing to smoke?" Orange asked during the meeting. "This is all about getting votes - telling black folks, 'Let you all smoke.' This is an election year."