District of Columbia

DC: So Far No One Has Paid Marijuana Fine

Nearly three dozen civil citations have been issued in the District of Columbia since marijuana possession was decriminalized, but so far none of the fines have been paid.

Violators have 14 days from the time a ticket is issued to pay the $25 fine or contest the ticket, so some of those fines could be paid in coming days.

So far, though, the city's Office of Administrative Hearings says none of the 35 tickets issued between July 17 and Aug. 8 have been paid. And The Washington Times reports that the early results are reminiscent of the city's littering laws, which use a similar, routinely ignored enforcement mechanism.

More than four out of five people who receive littering citations never pay them, and the city does not pursue scofflaws.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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