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Washburn decriminalizes small marijuana possession
05-06-07|Business North

Washburn has passed a city ordinance that might have people facing tickets instead of handcuffs if they’re caught with marijuana. Danielle Kaeding reports.

The new ordinance keeps people with a joint out of the joint. Washburn Assistant Police Chief Jeremy Clapero says it just gives them a different option on how to deal with pot users as opposed to the previous approach. “They were arrested on the spot and brought to jail—they were booked into the jail and then they would be at some point released and appear in court on that charge. Now there’s a situation where they can get a ticket with the fine amount and released. It’s not on their criminal record at that point.” Clapero says the new ordinance could save officers time and resources. “A situation where a person has a small or a very small amount of marijuana in their possession or in their car, this may be used instead of bringing that person to criminal court and having a criminal offense on their record for something would he be issued a city ordinance citation which is a forfeiture offense—similar to like a speeding ticket.” Clapero hopes that people won’t view the ordinance as leniency for stoners. “It’s not intended to say that we’re not tough on drugs. We’re still tough on drugs it’s just gives us another avenue. We’re behind just what every other agency has done, so we just kind of stepped up and did what they did.” Clapero says Washburn police might not use the ordinance and that arrests will probably still be made. He says the ordinance is not an indication of increased marijuana use in the area.

 

kcbennie

This is cool. We have the same policy in Kansas City. The one thing that hurts people in theses situations, though, is when they get pulled over, the officer smells marijuana, and then the person lies and says that they don't have any. This gets the cops really pissed and they usually treat you worse. By a rule, the only time that I ever drive with a bag in my car is after I picked some up and I'm taking it home. Otherwise, I never have more that 3 or 4 joints with me. I was pulled over last summer and my car really stunk. The cop asked if I had been smoking and I said "Yeah, I smoked about an hour ago," (that was the only lie I told because I had just finished smoking). He asked if I had any weed in the car and I said I had a couple of roaches in the ashtray. I agreed to let him search the car with no arguments and all he found were the roaches. He said since I was so cooperative and that was all the weed I had, he let me go. He didn't even give me a ticket. He said if I would have lied and said that I didn't have any weed, or he found a pound or something like that, then he would have given me more trouble. I have found that honesty is the best policy in these situations.

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