East Point, Georgia is clearing the smoke on its stance towards marijuana possession, signaling a shift in local drug policy. The city council gave the green light to an ordinance on December 18, putting forth a resolution to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta. With this move, East Point joins a growing list of Georgia cities rethinking the criminality of cannabis.
This change won't transform East Point into a haven for pot aficionados, though. Possession of less than an ounce still isn't legal but, getting busted with a personal stash will hit offenders in the wallet. Once Mayor Deana Holiday Ingraham signs off on the bill, law enforcement will be issuing $75 tickets or assigning community service as penalty, ditching the old playbook of jail time, as per the city council's meeting minutes from 11 Alive.
"It puts a lot of our community out of harm's way," Council member Lance Robertson, the mind behind the legislation, told FOX 5 Atlanta. His words aim to resonate with a population weary of the legal system's hammer coming down for minor infractions. Notably, Robertson isn't just a lawmaker, he's also a purveyor of hemp and CBD — both of which are on the right side of the law.
But let's be clear, this isn't an all-clear for lighting up just yet. The city's cops aren't exactly turning a blind eye, they're readjusting their gaze, prioritizing their role as protectors, not indiscriminate overseers of personal habits. "The police can be protecting our community, not patrolling our community," Robertson espoused in his vision for a revised civic direction. According to research highlighted by FOX 5 Atlanta, stemming from the NAACP, this could be a game-changer for racial justice, considering the glaring disparity in marijuana-related incarcerations affecting Black Americans compared to their white counterparts.
While the ordinance isn't effective immediately, the wheels of change are turning and the mayor's signature is the last hurdle to its enactment. In the meantime, calls for comment from Mayor Ingraham have gone unanswered, leaving it unclear when East Point's new measure will bloom into action.
