Superior Approves: No More Jail Time For Little Pot

City Council Approves New Ordinance for Small Amounts of Pot

SUPERIOR, Wis.- A very quick but very productive City Council meeting took place Tuesday night. An ordinance was unanimously passed decriminalizing marijuana possession in small amounts, to avoid a life–long mark on one’s record.

Previously, anyone found with any amount of marijuana would be arrested, and charged with a misdemeanor, or even a felony.

But now in the City of Superior, the penalty for possessing up to 25 grams of marijuana will be treated like a traffic ticket, for violating a city ordinance.

That fee could range from $100 to $500, according to 8th District City Councillor, Craig Sutherland.

“This is not legalizing marijuana at all, it’s decriminalizing it, for small amounts,” Sutherland said.

“When it comes to any way we can help people in the community fix their mistakes, and not having something so small and petty follow them around in the criminal cases effect their employment, their housing, maybe their military.”

Now a similar type of ordinance has already been in place in Douglas County and Eau Claire. Superior Police Chief Nicholas Alexander, and District Attorney Mark Freuhoff both support the new ordinance.

While there’s a lot of national talk about legalizing recreational marijuana, Councillor Sutherland said that’s a decision state lawmakers would have to make.