The city council in Monona, Wisconsin recently a year and a half debating whether the fine for marijuana possession should be lowered from $200 to $1. But in the end they agreed that even $1 was too much to pay for such a harmless crime, and agreed to remove any fine for marijuana altogether.
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High Times reports the new ordinance has removed all fines for possession of marijuana in public or private spaces if the person is at least 21. Smoking in public, however, is still against the law and carries a $200 fine.
But how does local law enforcement feel about the new ordinance?
“If the community values are, ‘Marijuana is not that serious of an offense’ and they want to have a $1 fine, or no fine, that’s their opinion,” Chief Walter Ostrenga told High Times. He added that while there are only 60 to 70 marijuana possession cases per year, he worries that eliminating all fines could lead to an increase of weed in private homes, which could expose more children to the drug.
“I can totally see both the arguments for and against, but I think there is an initiative, a change coming forth that is going to be a reduction of those fines,” Monona Mayor Bob Miller said.
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