Missouri News

St. Louis official seeks to reduce pot penalties

(ST. LOUIS, AP) — 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 reports (http://bit.ly/UOVFAf) the 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.

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