Legislation that would significantly alter Alabama’s marijuana laws has been filed in the state’s Senate.

Senate Bill 251 was filed this week by Senator Dick Brewbaker. Under current law, the possession of any amount of marijuana for personal use is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail. This bill “would also create the crime of possession of marijuana in the third degree for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana and would provide that a first or second conviction would be a violation with applicable fines that would not appear on a person’s criminal record and a third or subsequent offense would be a Class A misdemeanor.”

Also under current law, a person who possesses marijuana for other than personal use or who possesses marijuana for personal use and has previously been convicted of unlawful possession of marijuana in the second degree is guilty of a Class C felony and is guilty of a Class D felony for third or subsequent convictions. This bill “would revise the crime to require possession of two or more ounces of marijuana and would revise the penalties for violations.”

Senate Bill 251 has been assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee. The full text of the measure can be found by clicking here.