What sort of fine would only result in you erupting in laughter?

This one: a Denver city panel on drugs (specifically marijuana) is recommending that the fine imposed on those caught possessing pot be lowered to ... one dollar.

I know, I'm laughing too.

If Denver's presiding judge accepts the recommendation from the Denver Marijuana Policy Review Panel, the fine would be the lowest in the entire nation for marijuana possession.

The panel was created by Mayor John Hickenlooper in December 2007 after voters passed an ordinance that made it so adult marijuana possession is the city's "lowest lawn enforcement priority."

In May 2008, the city attorney's office made it so those cited for the crime can mail in their fines instead of having to appear in court. At that time, the city attorney's office assigned the value of the fine at $50.

"By setting the fine at just $1, we are sending a message to Denver officials that the era of citing adults for using a less harmful drug than alcohol is over. It's simply not worth the city's time or resources," said panel member and SAFER Executive Director Mason Tvert, who coordinated the successful Denver marijuana initiatives.

This is just bloody brilliant. However, not all are for it and, as you could expect, the chief opponents are – of course – cops:

Lt. Ernest Martinez with the Denver Police Department is also part of the panel and voted against lowering the fine.

"There's no indication that there's a problem with the fine schedule," Martinez said. "The panel is going outside the bounds of the language of the ordinance."

Martinez thinks there should be more dialogue about the changes.

More dialogue? Okay, I start: why do you insist on banning marijuana when it is completely and utterly devoid of danger; when the total deaths related to pot, from consumption during driving or overdosing and such, amount to exactly zero; when it is as dangerous to the user and people around him as smoking grass; and when the police obviously have far more important things to do than to pursue and prosecute people who smoke the utterly harmless drug that is weed?

I'd like a response to that ... Too bad I won't get one, will I?

(via The Agitator)

Technorati tags: marijuana · pot · denver · drug control · law enforcement