The Maryland legislature on Monday passed a bill that would decriminalize marijuana possession in small amounts, according to the Baltimore Sun.
Under the new bill, people caught with 10 grams of weed or less would only get a citation and have to pay a fine.
Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) on Monday said he would sign the bill, noting that he has changed his mind on marijuana use.
“As a young prosecutor, I once thought that decriminalizing the possession of marijuana might undermine the Public Will necessary to combat drug violence and improve public safety,” he said in a statement. “I now think that decriminalizing possession of marijuana is an acknowledgement of the low priority that our courts, our prosecutors, our police, and the vast majority of citizens already attach to this transgression of public order and public health. Such an acknowledgment in law might even lead to a greater focus on far more serious threats to public safety and the lives of our citizens.”
