NASHVILLE – An ordinance in Nashville seeks to reduce the penalty for people caught possessing or exchanging small amounts of marijuana.
The Tennessean reports that under the new ordinance, people who possess or exchange a half-ounce of marijuana or less would face a civil penalty of $50. A court could also choose to suspend the civil penalty and order 10 hours of community service. Current state law calls for a misdemeanor charge punishable by up to a year behind bars and a $2,500 fine.
Metro Councilman Dave Rosenberg said the current law is time-consuming for police since they have to arrest people over a marijuana misdemeanor. He also called the current state law unproductive and “needlessly expensive.”
“This has been an issue that has been moving nationwide from Florida to Washington as our society has come to understand that the most harmful effect of marijuana is marijuana laws,” he said.
Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said the police department opposes the new law because the ordinance’s language removes discretion from officers.