Sean Goldstein was recently featured in the Gwinnett Daily Post regarding the Gwinnett County Police Advisory Board’s recommendation to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.
The Gwinnett County Police Advisory Board was created in early 2021 in the wake of highly-publicized shootings against African-Americans. Its purpose is to advise the Gwinnett County Police Department and county commissioners on policy matters. Last month, the board voted to recommend that county commissioners change Gwinnett County Ordinance 66.3, which deals with marijuana possession. The recommended change is to make possession of less than an ounce of marijuana a county ordinance violation, punishable by a fine or community service, rather than a criminal act.
If the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners adopts the recommended change, the punishment for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana would be either a $150 fine or up to 20 hours of community service, according to a copy of the proposed resolution that the Daily Post obtained.
The Gwinnett Daily Post discussed the potential change to the law with Sean Goldstein. The change could make possession of less than an ounce of marijuana like getting a ticket for not wearing a seat belt, Goldstein confirmed. That can have a big impact for people who are caught possessing less than an ounce of marijuana.
“That’s where it tries to take this,” Goldstein said. “It’s decriminalizing, lessening the impact that this could have on somebody. With a marijuana charge under this ordinance, it really lessens the severity and impact it could have on their lives.”
You can read the full article at the Gwinnett Daily Post website.
