CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland joins several other cities in Ohio that have passed legislation to reduce penalties for low-level possession of marijuana.

• Cleveland City Council voted to eliminate all fines or jail time for possession of up to 200 grams of marijuana
• The Cleveland mayor signed legislation that eliminates prosecution for low-level marijuana offenses
• A councilman who voted against the legislatoin, supports medical marijuana, but believes this ordinance is sending the wrong message

Pricilla Harris began advocating for marijuana four years ago, for reasons that are personal.

“My son had seizures a few years back, so I started looking at it from a medicinal standpoint for my son for medical purposes,” Harris said. 

So she joined the Sensible Movement Coalition, which works with local governments to reform marijuana laws.

"Going into it a little bit more, I learned how many people are being impacted and put in prison for the same thing that some people’s using for medicine in one area and then the government in another area is saying this is completely illegal," said Harris.

She says the Sensible Movement has worked to get changes in cities like Toledo, Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton, where the cities either significantly reduced or eliminated penalties for possession of less than 100 or 200 grams of marijuana.

Cleveland City Council voted to eliminate all fines or jail time for possession of up to 200 grams of marijuana. 

Councilman Blaine Griffin sponsored the bill in hopes of addressing the stiffer penalties that minorities living in urban communities often face. 

We need to get out of our 70s thinking of how we look at marijuana," said Griffin. "ACLU has done a study that shows that African Americans are sometimes 5 to 7 times more likely to receive charges for marijuana possession compared to their white counterparts."

Council passed the measure 15-2. 
 
"I got to say this, the term I used, that’s a lot of freaking pot man! That’s a lot of freaking pot!” said Councilman Michael Polensek.

Councilman Michael Polensek brought a prop to city council to show just how much marijuana is being decriminalized —using parsley, which he says has a similar measurement to marijuana.

"That’s an ounce right there! 7 times of that, over 400 joints. Come on now!” said Polensek.

The councilman supports medicinal marijuana and would like to see reforms at a state level, but believes this ordinance is sending the wrong message.

"Are we just enabling more people to use drugs? There’s a whole cadre of police officers who still believe marijuana is a gateway drug, that once you start on the marijuana path, you’re going to go down the path for other drugs," said Polensek. 

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson recently signed the ordinance that city council approved in late January. Those convicted of a misdemeanor possession of marijuana in the city will not face jail time or a criminal record. They would also not be required to report the conviction on job applications.