Oklahoma City Reduces Penalties for Marijuana Possession

The city council in Oklahoma’s capital, Oklahoma City, approved a proposal to lessen the penalty for marijuana possession.

Currently, offenders in the state’s capital face a $1,200 fine and up to six months in jail, reports KFOR. The new law will decrease the penalty for simple marijuana possession to a $400 citation. Offenders will still face jail time if any evidence proves intent to distribute.

Oklahoma City Police Chief Bill Citty was responsible for conceiving the proposal.

“So what this does is it now allows the officers to write a citation in the field and release that individual in the field. They can pay the fine. They can come to court to pay the fine. They can come to court and place a bond but it’s not a court of record,” Chief Citty said. “This keeps officers from really automatically putting somebody in jail, like they did previously. Previously, possession of marijuana…you were booked into jail.”

The city’s new law begins on October 26.