This bill changes criminal penalties for the use or possession of 14 grams or less of marijuana.
This bill:
AI-generated summary, not yet reviewed by Better Utah staff. Please consult the bill text.
Under current Utah law, possessing or using 14 grams or less of marijuana (roughly half an ounce) without a valid prescription is generally treated as a class B misdemeanor on a first offense, punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. This bill would create a lower, separate penalty scale for that amount: a first offense would become a simple infraction similar to a traffic ticket, a second offense (or later offense not otherwise specified) would be a class C misdemeanor, a third offense within seven years would be a class B misdemeanor, and a fourth offense within seven years would be a class A misdemeanor. The bill also updates related expungement rules so that misdemeanor and infraction-level marijuana possession convictions, including this new infraction-level offense, remain eligible for automatic expungement after the required waiting periods, and makes related technical updates to cross-referenced sections of the criminal code and the state's controlled substance database reporting requirements. It does not change penalties for possession of larger amounts of marijuana or other controlled substances.
Introduction
Jan 20
House Rules
Mar 5
House Committee
Jan 26
House Floor Vote
Senate Rules
Senate Committee
Senate 2nd Reading
Senate 3rd Reading
Governor
IntroductionJan 20
House RulesMar 5
House CommitteeJan 26
House Floor Vote
Senate Rules
Senate Committee
Senate 2nd Reading
Senate 3rd Reading
Governor
This bill changes criminal penalties for the use or possession of 14 grams or less of marijuana.
This bill:
AI-generated summary, not yet reviewed by Better Utah staff. Please consult the bill text.
Under current Utah law, possessing or using 14 grams or less of marijuana (roughly half an ounce) without a valid prescription is generally treated as a class B misdemeanor on a first offense, punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. This bill would create a lower, separate penalty scale for that amount: a first offense would become a simple infraction similar to a traffic ticket, a second offense (or later offense not otherwise specified) would be a class C misdemeanor, a third offense within seven years would be a class B misdemeanor, and a fourth offense within seven years would be a class A misdemeanor. The bill also updates related expungement rules so that misdemeanor and infraction-level marijuana possession convictions, including this new infraction-level offense, remain eligible for automatic expungement after the required waiting periods, and makes related technical updates to cross-referenced sections of the criminal code and the state's controlled substance database reporting requirements. It does not change penalties for possession of larger amounts of marijuana or other controlled substances.
House/ filed
House file for bills not passed
House/ strike enacting clause
Clerk of the House
House/ comm rpt/ sent to Rules
House Rules Committee
House Comm - Recommends Returned to Rules
House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee
LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0253S02
Released
Last updated Aug 29, 2026, 5:26 PM