Cincinnati City Councilman David Mann has recently proposed how much marijuana Cincinnati should permit.
Mann proposed his idea on Monday that includes a limit possession to 32 grams to people 21 or older. Public use also would be illegal as part of the proposal.
A proposal to decriminalize possession to up to 100 grams or roughly 3.5 ounces of marijuana is set to be in front of the council Wednesday with 7 members supporting it.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters has cautioned that possessing 100 grams or less was simply still too much.
“As you probably know, I have supported the decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana in the past,” he wrote to council members. “However, I feel these levels of weight are too high in terms of personal use.”
With a limit of 100 grams, it could be difficult for prosecutors to prove other charges like trafficking in drugs, Deters argued.
“I would urge council to meet with police and prosecutors to determine a minimal amount to decriminalize,” the letter went on to say.
“The prosecutor raises serious concerns,” Mann said of Deters’ letter. “We need to slow down and do this right. I still do not see why we believe anything good comes from saying it is okay to walk around with the makings for over 300 joints. How long will one person take on average to smoke 300 joints?”
“While alcohol is lawful, we have all sorts of rules about where it can be consumed, not in public spaces except per special permit,” Mann said. “The proposed ordinance allows use anywhere where smoking is allowed.”
