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October 1, 2010 (Sacramento) – Late yesterday Governor Arnold Scharzenegger signed SB 1449, a bill sponsored by Sen. Mark Leno that downgrades the possession of one ounce or less of marijuana from a misdemeanor to an infraction. This will spare petty marijuana offenders the necessity of a court appearance and criminal arrest record, while saving the state millions of dollars in court and prosecution expenses.
In explaining his decision, the Governor said, "In this time of drastic budget cuts, prosecutors, defense attorneys, law enforcement, and the courts cannot afford to expend limited resources" to prosecute people for small amounts of marijuana possession.
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