On Monday, Republican Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll — one of the most conservative members of the lower house — introduced a measure that would treat marijuana like tobacco products, allowing it to be sold to those aged 19 and over in unlimited amounts.
Vendors who sell marijuana to underage kids would face civil penalties, much like a convenience store would today for selling kids cigarettes. And yes, under the bill, marijuana could be available at convenience stores, Carroll said (text of the bill was not immediately available).
“To me it’s just not a big deal. It’s already ubiquitous. Anybody who thinks this is somehow going to increase the availability of marijuana has never been 19,” said Carroll. “If that’s the case, then what’s the big deal about having it available at the local 7-Eleven?”
Carroll’s bill (A4193), which would also allow past marijuana offenders to expunge their records, would set no limit on the amount of marijuana it’s legal to possess and would delete language on marijuana from the state’s criminal codes.
