A Pittsburgh city councilman said he will introduce legislation Tuesday to decriminalize the possession of small quantities of marijuana in hopes of allowing police to focus on other crimes.
“We thought that now is a good time to push this forward,” said Councilman Daniel Lavelle, a Hill District Democrat and chair of the Committee on Public Safety Services, citing a nationwide effort to pass laws that would decriminalize or in some cases legalize marijuana possession.
If it passes, the measure would “free up police resources to devote their time to more serious crimes,” he said.
The legislation would permit police to fine and cite anyone carrying less than 30 grams (about an ounce) of marijuana or 8 grams of hashish under a city ordinance, akin to a parking ticket, rather than treat it as a misdemeanor criminal offense. The fine would be up to $100, and officers would be authorized to seize the drug, according to Pittsburgh NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, which worked with Lavelle on the bill.
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Pittsburgh City Council Considers Decriminalizing Marijuana Possession
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