Marijuana or marijuana products; underage possession, consequences, procedures.
Sponsored By: Leslie Chambers Mehta (Democratic)
In Committee
Summary
Underage consumption or possession of alcoholic beverage or marijuana or marijuana products; consequences; procedures. Reduces the penalties for underage consumption or possession of alcoholic beverages or marijuana or marijuana products to a written warning for a first violation, a written warning and the provision of informational materials about how to access community services for a second violation, and a write-up and an optional referral for accessing community services for a third or subsequent violation. Under current law, underage consumption, purchase, or possession of alcoholic beverages is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor with a period of license suspension and an option for a deferred dismissal in certain circumstances. The current penalties for underage consumption or possession of marijuana or marijuana products is a civil penalty of $25 and an order to enter a substance abuse treatment or education program. The bill also provides that such underage persons are not capable of giving lawful consent to a search and that the unconcealed possession of an alcoholic beverage or marijuana or marijuana products shall not constitute probable cause to initiate a search of a person or that person's personal property to determine any further violations of law. The bill specifies that such underage persons shall not be subject to arrest or otherwise detained or taken into custody by a law-enforcement officer and that a law-enforcement officer's body-worn camera system shall be activated during any encounter involving an underage person suspected to be in violation of such provisions. The bill also puts limits on the dissemination and retention of any law-enforcement records related to violations of such provisions.
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Bill Overview
No Economic Impacts Identified for this Bill
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Leslie Chambers Mehta
Democratic • House
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
Actions Timeline
Continued from last session
7/21/2026HouseRereferred to Courts of Justice
2/17/2026HouseMotion to rerefer to Courts of Justice agreed to
2/17/2026HouseContinued pursuant to House Rule 22 to 2027 in Courts of Justice
2/17/2026HouseEngrossed by House - floor substitute
2/16/2026HouseDelegate Mehta Floor substitute agreed to
2/16/2026Housecommittee substitute rejected
2/16/2026HouseRead second time
2/16/2026HouseFloor Offered
2/16/2026HouseFloor substitute printed 26108054D-H2 (Mehta)
2/16/2026HouseRead first time
2/13/2026HouseCommittee substitute printed 26107614D-H1
2/11/2026HouseReported from Courts of Justice with substitute (13-Y 9-N)
2/11/2026HouseHouse subcommittee offered
2/9/2026HouseSubcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (7-Y 3-N)
2/9/2026HouseAssigned HCJ sub: Criminal
2/7/2026HouseReferred from General Laws and referred to Courts of Justice (Voice Vote)
2/3/2026HouseReferred to Committee on General Laws
1/22/2026HousePresented and ordered printed 26103239D
1/22/2026House
Bill Text
Substitute
2/16/2026
Substitute
2/11/2026
Substitute
2/10/2026
Substitute
2/9/2026
Introduced
1/22/2026
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