STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) – The Stevens Point City Council voted 8-3 Monday to reduce fines for possession of marijuana from $100 to $5.
The change will apply to local ordinances and does not make marijuana legal, but it’s seen by many as a step towards decriminalization.
Some residents spoke in favor of complete decriminalization, arguing that alcohol or more harmful drugs are a greater threat to the community.
The City Council has not set a date for the new ordinance to go into effect, but it will be soon.
The lower fine applies for possession of 25 grams or less for those who are 18 and older. Fines remain at $100 for minors.
A proposal that would have kept the fine at $100 for first-time possession was dropped.
This is the second time in recent memory that Stevens Point has considered decriminalizing the drug. In late 2017 a similar ordinance change was brought forward by Alder Mary Kneebone, but that failed to gain traction.
Marathon County has considered a similar $5 fine but dropped the proposal because the county would lose money on each case that went through the court system.
Marijuana remains illegal at the state level, both recreationally and for medicinal purposes. Some neighboring states have legalized the drug recreationally including Illinois and Michigan.
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