District of Columbia Passes Law that Decriminalizes Marijuana in Washington: Report

On Tuesday, legislators of the District of Columbia in Washington voted in favor of the decriminalization of the possession of small amounts of marijuana in the state, in what many consider to be a new victory on the road to the legalization of consumption of this drug.

With this measure, approved after a vote of 10 in favor and one against, possessing and smoking marijuana in private homes will no longer be a crime in the capital of the United States, with which laws relating to the consumption and possession of this drug have been eased considerably, according to USA Today.

With the new law, possession of an ounce or less of marijuana will no longer be considered a crime, which was punished with up to six months in prison and a fine of up to $1,000 dollars, and becomes instead a civil crime which will be punished with a light fine of $25 dollars and the seizing of the drug.

It's worth noting that the modification approved on Tuesday does not allow public consumption of marijuana, which will still be considered a minor crime comparable to consuming alcohol in public.

Although the District of Columbia permits the medicinal use of marijuana, the new measure approved by legislators is a move in the same direction as other states in the United States in its efforts to reduce the negative impacts caused by the criminalization of marijuana.

After being approved the District's legislators, the measure will be sent to democrat Mayor Vincent G. Gray, who said he would sign it without changing it further; however, it's expected that congressmen will continue with the trend seen in other parts of the country where they have also modified their policies against marijuana.