Civil Enforcement -- A Fine Is Fine:

A more sensible approach to cannabis possession in Illinois

Sister bills SB 2228 and HB 4357 would replace criminal penalties with civil fines:
Saving taxpayer money.
Preserving local and state resources and law enforcement time for serious crime.
Avoiding jeopardizing future job and housing prospects.
Voters want change, and many Illinois communities agree:
63% of Illinois voters favor replacing criminal penalties for possessing an ounce or less
of cannabis with a modest fine and no jail time. Only 27% were opposed.1
Over 100 Illinois cities and towns have removed criminal penalties via local ordinances.2
Unfortunately, however, those ordinances have been unevenly implemented.
Alarming numbers of Illinoisans are being arrested for simple possession of cannabis:
In 2010, there were 49,904 arrests across Illinois for cannabis possession.3
Between 1975 and 2009, there were over a million cannabis-related arrests in Illinois.4
Researchers at Roosevelt University found that, despite a local ordinance allowing law
enforcement to avoid arresting suspects, 93% of cannabis violations in Chicago still
resulted in arrests under state law, with only 7% of suspects ticketed.
According to the same study, African Americans were 7 times more likely to be arrested
than whites were, even though blacks and whites consume cannabis at similar rates.

SB 2228 and HB 4357 specifics

Applies to the possession of 10 grams or less

Removes the possibility of arrest for simple possession, saving law enforcement time
Removes the possibility of jail, reducing costly pressure on taxpayer-funded jails
Imposes a modest fine of between $100 and $200
Avoids a criminal record, which can harm future prospects for work, school, or
housing

Public Policy Polling telephone survey of 769 Illinois voters March 28-30.
http://www.mpp.org/states/illinois/ILpoll.pdf
2
Kane-Willis, Aviles, Bazan, Narloch, "Patchwork Policy:An Evaluation of Arrests and Tickets for Marijuana
Misdemeanors In Illinois," May 2014, Illinios Consortium on Drug Policy, page 8.
3
American Civil Liberties Union. (2013) The War on Marijuana in Black and White, pp. 148. New York, NY.
Edwards, Bunting, & Garcia
4
Illinois State Police. (2009) Crime in Illinois. Retrieved at http://www.isp.state.il.us/crime/cii2009.cfm