St. Louis, MO: Members of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen this week voted 22 to 3 in favor of a municipal ordinance that seeks to cite, rather than arrest, minor marijuana offenders. Under the ordinance, offenders will most likely face a fine, but no arrest, jail time, or criminal record for possessing minor amounts of cannabis.
A spokesman for St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay told media outlets that the mayor intends to sign the new law, which takes effect on June 1, 2013. St. Louis is the largest city in Missouri.
Under present state law, marijuana possession offenses involving 35 grams or less are classified as criminal misdemeanors, punishable by up to one-year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Full text of the ordinance appears here: http://stlouis-mo.gov/internal-apps/legislative/upload/floor-substitute/BB275FS.pdf.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500 or Dan Viets, Coordinator of Missouri NORML, at: danviets@justice.com.