Marijuana Decriminalized in Athens, GA
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Source: Online Athens
By Emily Jiannetto
Athens, Georgia has made local history by instituting the lowest known fine for marijuana possession under one ounce. In an 8-1 vote, the Athen-Clarke County commissioners passed an ordinance that will eliminate any jail time for marijuana possession (under one ounce), with the only punishment being a 35$ fine (Allen). While the state of Georgia decrees that marijuana misdemeanors are subject to a $1,000 fine and/or up to a year in prison, generally, punishments for marijuana are lenient, with most offenders rarely getting the maximum fine and/or jail time (Allen).
Many municipalities across the state, like Atlanta and Savannah, have passed similar legislation to that of Athens, but none have been as generous. The fines in these other cities are all somewhere between $75 and $500, but there would be no jail time (Allen). There are many in government who don’t think the ordinance was radical enough, such as Commissioner Jesse Houle, who wants to remove “probable cause” (Allen). This means that if an officer smelled marijuana on someone, or knew they were in possession of the drug, the officer still would not be able to search the suspect for evidence of their criminal offenses (Allen). This ordinance did not have enough support, but similar legislation has passed in other states.
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