Milwaukee, WI: Members of the City Council voted 10 to 3 this week in favor of municipal legislation reducing marijuana possession penalties to a fine of no more than $50.00.
Under the proposed ordinance, offenses involving the possession of up to 25 grams of marijuana will be reduced from a maximum fine of $500 to $50.00.
The proposal now goes before Mayor Tom Barrett for final approval.
Milwaukee legislators initially moved to decriminalize minor marijuana offenses in 1997.
Under state law, the possession of any amount of cannabis is classified as a criminal misdemeanor punishable by up to six-months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500 or Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org.