©2011 Galesburg Broadcasting Co.
| Alderman Makes Pitch for Change in Pot Approach |
Despite what you've heard or may think, Galesburg 7th Ward Alderman Jeremy Karlin is NOT trying to legalize marijuana.
Karlin spoke before the Galesburg Youth Commission Thursday about his proposed ordinance to make possession of 2.5 grams of cannabis or less, and some of the equipment used to smoke it, punishable by a city ordinance violation and a $500 fine, instead of the typical misdemeanor offense in the court system.
Karlin says that would make better use of the court system for much more serious offenses.
"This allows us to prioritize the use of our resources within the courthouse, to preserve them for cases that do need that intensive kind of court treatment," Karlin said. "What this also allows us to do, in speaking with police officers when we were trying to form this policy, is that they said listen, if this is just a city ordinance violation then I don't have to bag it up as evidence, we keep it as evidence."
Karlin says it simply gives police officers, in his words, "another tool in the toolbox." Officers could still charge offenders with misdemeanors if necessary.
Youth Commission members asked Karlin to consider in the proposed ordinance an education and public service announcement campaign, so that youth understand that it's not making pot legal.
The ordinance is tentatively scheduled to be before aldermen in late-March.
(7th Ward Alderman Jeremy Karlin speaks to the Galesburg Youth Commission Thursday. WGIL News Story and Photo by Will Stevenson) |
|
| 02 24 12 by Newsroom |
Click here for the WGIL News Archive
Click here for national news
The following provision applies to all visitors (which shall include persons and representatives of legal entities, whether such representatives are persons or digital engines of a kind that crawls, indexes, scrapes, copies, stores or transmits digital content). By accessing this Web site or digital service, you specifically acknowledge and agree that: (i) Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium; (ii) No Associated Press materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use; (iii) The Associated Press will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing; (iv) The Associated Press is an intended third party beneficiary of these terms and conditions and it may exercise all rights and remedies available to it; and (v) The Associated Press reserves the right to audit possible unauthorized commercial use of AP materials or any portion thereof at any time.
