Update: Actually, this may be an even bigger move than it first appeared. Jennifer Martinez-Roth, a mayoral spokesperson, tells me that possession of 15 grams or less would be a municipal violation subject to fines rather than a criminal offense. Police would still have the ability to make a full arrest if they deemed it appropriate, but it leaves open the possibility of cutting arrests and reducing criminal records of thousands of people a year. In short, it is a decriminalization proposal. And with Mayor Emanuel’s support, it’s almost certain to become reality.
Even Rahm Emanuel is conceding that something’s wrong with current pot laws.
The mayor is about to announce his support for a plan that would slightly lessen the consequences of getting caught with small amounts of marijuana, according to the alderman sponsoring the measure.
Danny Solis, alderman of the 25th Ward, says Emanuel has now given his backing to the idea of allowing police to ticket pot possessors. City Hall sources confirm that he’ll make the announcement as soon as tomorrow.