Stonecrest City Council considering decriminalizing marijuana
STONECREST, Ga. - Officials in one of DeKalb County's largest cities are considering decriminalizing certain amounts of marijuana.
The newly proposed ordinance would have police officers in Stonecrest issue civil citations rather than arresting someone for having 1 ounce or less of pot.
There would be no jail time and the fine a person would pay would not exceed $100.
The Municipal Court of Stonecrest, which is the group proposing decriminalization, argue that enforcement of the laws "has fallen disproportionately on certain subsets of the population."
Another reason city officials give in the proposal is the arrest or conviction for the state law makes "employment obstacles with marginalize broad swaths of the population."
Speaking to The Champion, Stonecrest spokesperson Ray White says the proposed ordinance would give officers more discretion of when to arrest a person or write a ticket.
"This ordinance contemplates not making a criminal offense of the possession of marijuana," White said. "If the person continues to get cited for it, then the court can address it in a different way."
The Stonecrest City Council could vote on the ordinance as early as Aug. 22.