Cleveland, OH: Members of the Cleveland City Council have approved municipal legislation depenalizing marijuana possession offenses. The measure now awaits final approval from the city’s mayor.
Under the proposal, activities involving the possession of up to 200 grams of cannabis will no longer be punishable by either an arrest, a fine, or a criminal record. Marijuana will still be defined as contraband and will be confiscated by local law enforcement.
The measure is similar to those approved in several other Ohio cities, including Athens and Columbus, which also reduce or eliminate municipal penalties for the possession of up to 200 grams of marijuana.
Under state law, the possession of marijuana in amounts above 100 grams but below 200 grams is punishable by up to 30 days in jail.
For more information, visit NORML’s ‘Citywide Decriminalization Report‘.