The Oakland Tribune, 02 Oct 2010 – In November, Californians will have an opportunity to make marijuana legal. But a new state law is already doing everything but legalize it — making possession of less than an ounce of pot no more serious than driving faster than the speed limit. A bill signed Thursday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger reduces the crime from a misdemeanor to an infraction, meaning that those caught smoking merely need to pay a $100 fine, won’t have to appear in court and won’t have a criminal record.

The Oakland Tribune, 02 Oct 2010 – In November, Californians will have an opportunity to make marijuana legal. But a new state law is already doing everything but legalize it — making possession of less than an ounce of pot no more serious than driving faster than the speed limit. A bill signed Thursday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger reduces the crime from a misdemeanor to an infraction, meaning that those caught smoking merely need to pay a $100 fine, won’t have to appear in court and won’t have a criminal record.