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Proposed Pot Ordinance Gets Criticism
The public and members of the Galesburg City Council aren't as warm to the idea of making possessing small amounts of marijuana a possible city ordinance violation as perhaps first thought.

No action will be taken until August, but aldermen Monday night heard from the public and themselves for the better part of an hour on the matter. It would essentially give police the option of making possession of two-and-a-half grams of pot either a city ordinance violation, or a violation of state law, based on the circumstances of the arrest.

Tina Gummerson, city Drug-Free Communities Grant Coordinator, and a member of the Knox County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, says she's changed her mind about the proposed change.

"We really thought about the perceptions of youth in Knox County," she said. "And we have Illinois youth survey data that shows the youth think that adults-- their perceptions of adults feeling that marijuana use is wrong-- those numbers have been going up. The number of youths who are using marijuana has gone up in the last two years, and we will have new data at the end of July or the beginning of August. So those things are concerning to us."

Others, though, expressed concern that marijuana is a clear gateway drug to other more potentially lethal substances.

At least one alderman said if it's a violation of state law to possess pot, why is the council discussing it.

A final vote will come August sixth.
07 17 12 by Newsroom
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