As expected, ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä City Council did not discuss the citizen petition regarding penalties for marijuana possession Monday night.
After several proclamations, the council unanimously approved:
Using coal severance money to pay on bonds for the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Coliseum and Convention Center
Buying 12 new refrigerators at the Coliseum and Convention Center for $64,416. This amount will be reimbursed through a sponsorship deal with GoMart.
Authorizing a grant application to the Governor’s Highway Safety Program for traffic enforcement overtime
Renewing the city’s mapping software for $122,700 over three years
Marijuana comments
Two public commenters spoke about the marijuana penalties.
Martec Washington referenced a decision by City Attorney Kevin Baker that the petition needed more signatures, saying the decision was “spitting in our faces.â€
Washington said smoking marijuana had helped him with health issues.
“For y’all to disrespect us like that is utterly wrong. We voted for you guys, and at every turn, you’re letting us down,†he said.
Corey Zinn, who submitted the petition, offered his support for the councilmember-sponsored bill dealing with marijuana penalties, saying that lowering the penalties could be beneficial to tourists from states where recreational use of marijuana is legal.
“We’re already doing a lot of good making sure we’re not jailing but we want to make sure everyone has that same privilege, because there is discrimination, and we want a system where it treats everyone the same,†Zinn said.
ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Police Department statistics from 2023 that show Black people were disproportionately charged with the crime of simple possession of marijuana.
