© 2024 Peoria Public Radio
A joint service of Bradley University and Illinois State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Proposal revises fines, punishment for marijuana possession

Photo by Ryan Van Lenning / Flickr

An Illinois lawmaker wants to ticket people possessing marijuana...instead of charging them with a misdemeanor that could trigger jail time. Representative Kelly Cassidy proposes charging a 100 dollar fine to anyone possessing less than 30 grams of the drug. She says that would allow for uniform enforcement of the law across the state. 

"Ultimately, whether or not you're arrested for low-level marijuana possession in Illinois depends greatly on where you live and what you look like, and it's not a great use of our criminal justice system." 

Cassidy, a Democrat from Chicago, says her proposal has received support from Republicans...even though all four Republican legislators on the committee that debated the measure voted against it.  The measure passed anyway, and now goes to the full House.

Lisa Ryan is a graduate student in the public affairs reporting program at the University of Illinois at Springfield. She previously worked at Indiana Public Radio and the college radio station founded by David Letterman. She is a 2014 broadcast journalism and political science graduate of Ball State University.