A non-lethal projectile, and a storage and charging mechanism therefor are provided in the illustrative embodiments. An ammunition cartridge includes a propulsion mechanism and a non-lethal projectile. The non-lethal projectile is configured to detach from a launching device when propelled from the launching device, and includes a set of electrodes electrically coupled to an electrical power source. The electrical power source may be a capacitor, a battery, or a combination thereof, and may be rechargeable. The ammunition cartridge may be shaped and sized for firing from a weapon designed to fire a comparably shaped and sized conventional ammunition. A holder for holding and charging a non-lethal projectile in an ammunition cartridge includes a set of conductors to provide a charging current to the electrical power source in the non-lethal projectile. A charging base may receive the holder and provide electrical power to the set of conductors.