Commissioner proposes decriminalizing marijuana in Gwinnett County
(Image by M. Maggs from Pixabay) (Image by M. Maggs from Pixabay)
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A Gwinnett County commissioner is proposing a plan to decriminalize marijuana possession throughout the county.
The resolution, which was proposed by Commissioner Kirkland Carden, would make it so that anyone who is found to have less than an ounce of marijuana would not receive any jail time.
Instead, the individual would be fined $150 or be required to do community service.
In a statement during a public briefing, Carden called the resolution a "step in the right direction for Gwinnett County.
"To be clear, this would not legalize marijuana - it will still be a crime to sell it and possession will be punished with a fine," Carden said. "However, it will stop the often discriminatory enforcement of the current law that creates a prison pipeline where certain individuals are jailed for a small amount, while others are let go for the same infraction."
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Other areas, including Atlanta, Fulton County, Savannah, and Bibb County have passed similar measures.
Last year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed its own measure that would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level but would not directly alter the status of cannabis under state law. The law has not been agreed to by the U.S. Senate, however.
Gwinnett County's resolution has been referred to the county's Citizens Advisory Board, which will give recommendations before a final vote.
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