After a morning of rushed Tweets and accusations of rival candidates pushing false information, current Mayor of Atlanta Kasim Reid has finally signed into law a new ordinance that decriminalizes cannabis in the city.
Per Marijuana Movement
On Tuesday, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed (D) signed into law an ordinance that advocates say essentially decriminalizes cannabis.
Reed announced the move on Wednesday morning following a bout of confusion over erroneous reports that he had actually vetoed the proposal.
Per the new ordinance, the threat of jail time for possession of less than an ounce of cannabis will be eliminated under local code. Instead, those caught with small amounts will be subject to a maximum fine of $75.
Currently, people who encounter police while possessing marijuana face fines of up to $1,000 and as many as six months in jail.
But the changes only apply to city policy. Even when the proposal takes effect, Georgia state marijuana criminalization will remain on the books and enforceable in the city of Atlanta.
The City Council unanimously approved the measure last week by a vote of 15-0.
The decriminalization measure’s sponsor, Councilman Kwanza Hall, is running for mayor this year. Reed is term-limited and cannot run for reelection.
“While this is a significant step forward for all of Atlanta, and especially parents who fear their children may be jailed for what used to be an unjust marijuana law, it was also just a common-sense reform,” Hall said in a press release after the mayor signed his legislation. “Today is a victory for grassroots organizers who fought tirelessly and created the momentum for us to deliver for the people. But while [the] signing is significant, we have more to do to address the many ways that ‘Broken Windows’ policing has unjustly and negatively impacted low income people and people of color.”
Earlier today, we posted about the Tweet heard around the world that sparked concerns that Reid would not sign the legislation.