With the passage of a bill decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana in Connecticut, the state may soon have harsher punishments for people caught with fake pot, than with the real thing.
The State House of Representatives gave final approval to the bill, which will make possession of a half-ounce of marijuana or less a violation, like a speeding ticket, rather than a crime. The State Senate passed the bill over the weekend, and Governor Dannel Malloy, who supported the measure, said he will sign it.
The vote came less than 24 hours after the Senate unanimously passed a bill regulating synthetic versions of pot, as well as an herb called Salvia divinorum. The "fake pot" has many of the same effects as real marijuana, and in many instances, have be sold legally in stores.
The bill banning synthetic pot still must pass the House, but if it does, it would pose an interesting conundrum, via The Day of New London:
Eric Coleman, D-Bloomfield acknowledged that if both bills become law, an individual would face a criminal record in Connecticut if caught with a small amount of synthetic marijuana once bought in a store, but not for a similar amount of traditional marijuana that he or she obtained in a back alley.
According to The Day, Republican State Senator John McKinney brought up the issue during debate on the synthetic pot bill Monday night. "For the life of me, I don't know how I am going to explain to my constituents that we have one penalty for the fake pot but another for the real pot."
It was unclear if Gov. Malloy would sign the synthetic pot bill if it reaches his desk.
