The Washington, D.C. city council voted 11-1 last night to decriminalize pot inside the district's limits.

The District of Columbia is not specifically a "city" but an area set aside for our nation's capitol, in Maryland.   The council vote will hear another reading of the measure and have a final vote again on February 18th.

Council member Yvette Alexander was the lone 'no' vote.  She said even if they take away the penalties, it's still against federal law, and decriminalizing will give the wrong idea that people can light it up.   Some 5,000 people are arrested annually for smoking pot in public in D.C. according to council members.  Some said those resources could be better used battling other crimes rather than utilizing resources to chase down and arrest pot smokers.

Television station WSUA-9 noted in their story that Councilman Marion Barry was not present at the meeting and vote.

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