Commissioners and community partners are working together to give the public the chance to ask questions and express their opinions on limiting the maximum penalty for certain minor marijuana offenses (possession of less than an ounce) and making it so that offenders should not sentenced to be jailed.

A Town Hall Forum will be held on Tuesday, May 14 beginning at 5:00 p.m. in Commission Chambers at Government Center (700 Poplar Street). It will be broadcast live on the Macon-Bibb County Facebook page. The ordinance is co-sponsored by Mayor Pro Tem Al Tillman and Commissioners Lucas, Schlesinger, and Watkins.

“We need to do something to help our youth who have made small mistakes, and it’s widely recognized that putting harsh penalties on these small amounts of pot can have a lifetime of negative effects,” says Mayor Pro Tem Tillman. “This is major legislation, and we certainly don’t want to make such a change without giving the public a chance to have their voices heard.”

“We have to stop penalizing people so harshly for minor offenses,” adds Commissioner Watkins. “Marijuana will still be illegal, but these small amounts should not lead to jail time.”