TICKETS FOR MARIJUANA POSSESSION OK'D

Common Council Passes Ordinance

MANITOWOC - Possession of marijuana is now an ordinance violation, and
first-timers who get caught with the drug face a city citation rather
than a misdemeanor charge.

The Common Council decided Monday to make the change from the current
system, which charges all offenders in circuit court, leaving them
with the possibility of $1,000 in fines, six months in jail and a
six-month driver's license suspension.

"This is not a decriminalization of marijuana," Alderman Paul Tittl
said. "Some people are misunderstanding this."

Under the new rules, anyone caught with more than 8 grams of marijuana
will automatically be charged with the misdemeanor, and second and
subsequent offenses will be handled in circuit court, District
Attorney Mark Rohrer said in February. First offenders with less than
8 grams will get the city ticket.

Making the change to an ordinance prevents a county circuit court
judge from expunging the offender's record after the sentence is
served. A city citation can't be expunged, so the conviction will
appear if there are any future offenses - possibly increasing penalties.