Maryland Senate Okays Marijuana DecriminalizationPhillip Smith The bill is Senate Bill 364,sponsored by Sen. Robert Zirkin (D-Montgomery County). It would replace criminal penalties for the possession of 10 grams of marijuana with a civil fine of up to $100. That should help in Maryland, which has the fourth-highest arrest rate per capita for marijuana possession. The bills next stop is the House Judiciary Committee, where a similar bill last year died without a vote. If you are a Maryland resident, contact your members of the House of Delegates to tell them to fight for this bill. Phillip Smith writes for StopTheDrugWar.org where this article first appeared. 