Nashville Council Gives Final Approval to Cannabis Decriminalization
With a 35 to 3 vote, the Nashville Metro City Council has given final approval to an ordinance that will decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis.
Mayor Meagan Barry says she will sign it into law.
Under the proposed ordinance, which will go into effect immediately following Mayor Barry’s signature, the possession of up to a half an ounce of cannabis will be reduced to a simple $50 civil infraction. For those who can’t afford the $50, they can opt to instead do 10 hours of community service.
This is a huge change from current law, where the possession of even a minuscule amount of cannabis is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and/or a maximum fine of $2,500.
Nashville, the capital of Tennessee, is the 25th most populated city in the U.S. with roughly 630,000 residents.
