A student holds more than 14 ounces of weed in his home less than a mile from campus.
City of Memphis officials suspended a decriminalization of marijuana measure Wednesday after Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery III issued a statement questioning the legality of the ordinance.
“It’s not right to pass something, then diminish and retract it. Especially, considering it’s such a small amount of marijuana,†University of Memphis freshman, Deonte Russell, said.
“I feel like taking away the ordinance is bull****,†Russell said.
The law, passed in an Oct. 4 city council meeting, allows Memphis police officers to determine the punishment of issuing a $50 fine and community service for less than a half-ounce of marijuana in lieu of a criminal charge.
However, possession of marijuana is still a federal crime in the state of Tennessee. According to The Commercial Appeal, two Tennessee state senators had brought the ordinance to Slatery’s attention questioning its legality.
Slatery answered their questions with a strong “No.†Wednesday, Slatery released an opinion to Memphis City Council questioning whether municipalities are legally empowered to enact a law that allows city police officers to issue a new fine for a small amount of marijuana.
“I don’t think marijuana hurts people that much,†University of Memphis freshman Jasmyne Morris said. “For the city to pass that law, then take it back after the people are used to it, is really unfair.â€
“I feel like taking away the ordinance is bull****.â€
-Deonte Russell
University of Memphis FreshmanÂ
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Memphis’ Chief Communications Officer, Ursula Madden, said in a statement Wednesday that the city council had received Slatery’s opinion.
“[We] are in the process of reviewing it to determine how we will move forward,†Madden said. “For now, we are suspending enforcement of the city ordinance.â€
Slatery cited a federal limitation that prevents municipalities from enacting measures that conflict with state law, which is the basis of the suspension.
The statement said,
“A municipal ordinance that attempts to regulate a field that is regulated by state statue cannot stand.â€
Arlenia Cole of the Memphis City Council Media Affairs department said there are currently no updates on the status of the suspension or when it will be lifted.
Expired weed can lead to brain damage and lung cancer. Local doctors warned others not to use drugs that are expired.Â
