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Possessing pot in Cincinnati could change in dramatic fashion at mid-week.A clear council majority intends to decriminalize small amounts.But, on the eve of a consequential vote, there was still a good deal of hand-wringing over certain conditions.The nuances in front of city lawmakers are noteworthy.There is an alternative proposed by Councilman David Mann, raising the question about whether the amount is negotiable.There is ongoing internal discussion about setting an age limit.There is also concern about possible unintended consequences of decriminalization.Would any place to roll and smoke a joint become commonplace?Those weighing the amount of permissible pot in Cincinnati point to Fountain Square to make their points.Prosecutor Joe Deters, for one."When you can just go on Fountain Square and start smokin' dope," he said with a slow, objectionable shake of the head.Deters called that scenario a bad look.Lawmaker Jeff Pastor expected an up-or-down Wednesday vote to decriminalize 100 grams.Lawmaker David Mann sees 100 as way too much and wants it pared to an ounce, which is roughly 28 grams."I don't think the citizens of this community want to go to Fountain Square or walk down the sidewalk and see folks smokin' pot," said Mann.If you drop 28 grams onto a scale, you're talking roughly a hundred joints.Do the same with 100 grams, it's more than 300 joints.Deters foresees a greater degree of difficulty in prosecuting traffickers if local and state laws conflict."A defendant's going to come into court and say or their lawyer's going to say look, it's legal in Cincinnati. I was under the impression I was in compliance with the law."At Fountain Square, we spoke with an Anderson Township man was in Oregon for 14 years.If his observation is any guide, the airy atmosphere at the Square may be altered."Living in Portland for as long as I did, it was open," explained Terry Dean. "It was everywhere. You couldn't walk through downtown without smelling it."Age appropriate is a big issue in this debate.Council recently restricted cigarette smoking to 21 and up.You might say "the pot thickens."Councilman Chris Seelbach would not support Mann's compromise legislation if you have to be 21. But, he indicated he would support it if the age limit starts at 18.Councilman P. G. Sittenfeld called the compromise "reasonable."Councilman Wendell Young told us he's not in love with the 100-gram proposal but would probably support it.However, he added "I might change my mind."Vice Mayor Chris Smitherman, who co-sponsored the change in law with Pastor, has pledged to mount a petition drive to put the issue on the November ballot if the 100-gram ordinance is not approved.If it is approved on Wednesday, it would take effect in 30 days.Complicating the issue for some is the conflict with Ohio law. Despite expressing reservations about the 100-gram amount, Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac has stated he would instruct his officers to abide by city ordinances.But, Hamilton County Sheriff's deputies, state troopers and investigators for the prosecutor's office would not be bound by the city legislation.That could result in confusion for the general public.Within city limits, people would be free to be with 100 grams yet still subject to possible penalty from other authorities who carry jurisdiction within the city."And I swore to enforce the laws of the State of Ohio," stated Deters pointedly. "And I'm going to do it."