ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - The Maryland Senate is set to vote Friday on whether to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.
Sen. Robert Zirkin's bill would replace criminal penalties for pot possession with a $100 civil fine. Juveniles caught with the drug would also have to appear before a judge and possibly undergo treatment. Under an amendment from Sen. Christopher Shank, the same penalty would also apply to adults caught a third time.
Criminal penalties would remain intact for anyone carrying more than about one-third of an ounce of pot.
A similar bill is pending in a House committee.
