The City of Chamblee will vote on whether or not to decriminalize cannabis possession within city limits soon.
“Take away the criminal aspect. Take away the pipeline of sending people to jail,” said Brian Mock, the Chamblee City Councilman who introduced the ordinance.
If passed, the ordinance would chance possession of cannabis up to an ounce would be $75 to $150 fine.
The city currently defaults to state law for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana, which is classified as a misdemeanor. Punishment can include one year of jail time or a $1,000 fine.
If passed, Chamblee would be the ninth local jurisdiction in Georgia with the reduced penalty, following Atlanta, Savannah and Macon-Bibb County and more.