A St. Louis alderman wants the city to reduce the penalties for possessing a small amount of marijuana. Alderman Shane Cohn plans to introduce a bill Friday that would allow St. Louis police to send people with a small amount of marijuana to municipal court. Currently, marijuana offenders are charged under state laws.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reportsthe municipal violation would bring a fine of $100 to $500 and up to 90 days in jail. The proposal also would exempt anyone from another state who has a prescription for medical marijuana.
Cohn says he wants to reduce the time and money law enforcement spends on small marijuana possession cases.
The ordinance doesn't define what would be considered a small amount, allowing police to make that decision.
