Philadelphia to Ease Marijuana Laws

A reason to visit Philadelphia besides the Liberty Bell? Philadelphia is set to all but decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana, says the Philadelphia Inquirer. In an effort to clear its court docket, the city will ticket people found with less than 30 grams of the drug rather than slapping them with a misdemeanor that will stick on their criminal record. Fines for first-time offenders will be $200 and $300 for repeat offenders. The move will also remove 3,000 marijuana-related cases from the court system—about 5 percent of the overall caseload in criminal court.