GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Gwinnett County commissioner has proposed the county take a different approach to marijuana possession.
During a public briefing, Tuesday, held by Gwinnett County Commissioners, Commissioner Kirkland Carden unveiled a resolution that would decriminalize marijuana possession in the county.
Passage of the resolution, according to the proposal, would mean that any individual found possessing less than 1 ounce of marijuana would not receive jail time, but rather would be fined $150.
According to Carden, the resolution has been referred to the newly-created Citizens Advisory Board, which will give their recommendation on the matter before passing it along to the Board of Commissioners for a final vote.
Carden said the resolution would be a "step in the right direction for Gwinnett County."
"To be clear, this would not legalize marijuana - it will still be a crime to sell it and possession will be punished with a fine,” Carden emphasized. “However, it will stop the often discriminatory enforcement of the current law that creates a prison pipeline where certain individuals are jailed for a small amount, while others are let go for the same infraction.”
The stance is a similar one that has been taken by other other municipalities, like Atlanta in 2017 and Chamblee in 2019. The push to decriminalize the drug has also gotten national traction, with several more states voting to legalize marijuana in the latest November elections. The US House of Representatives also voted in December to decriminalize the substance at the federal level.
Under the proposal in Gwinnett, possession of one ounce or less of marijuana would be a simple "ordinance violation," and would be cited on a uniform traffic citation.
Any person convicted of a violation would face a fine of $150, or community service that would not exceed 12 months.