North York could soon join the growing list of Pennsylvania municipalities to decriminalize possession of small quantities of marijuana.
The proposed ordinance would make possessing a small amount of marijuana — an ounce or less — a non-traffic citation and a $50 fine. Possessing drug paraphernalia would be a $50 fine and smoking it in public would be a $100 fine.
For comparison, a parking ticket in the borough comes with a $25 fine and a $25 fee.
Possessing marijuana in Pennsylvania is a misdemeanor charge that can come with a fine of $500 and up to 30 days in jail. Each year, state lawmakers introduce bills that would decriminalize marijuana statewide but, so far, none of them have gained much traction.
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Gov. Josh Shapiro, in announcing his 2024 budget proposal this month, called for legalization as a potential revenue generator. His budget proposes a 20% tax on adult-use marijuana, which could bring in an estimated $14.8 million statewide in its first year.
Until marijuana is decriminalized — or legalized — a patchwork of municipalities have taken up the issue on their own. Carlisle, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and York City all passed their own decriminalization ordinances in the last decade.
Under North York’s proposal, juvenile marijuana offenders would go before the county’s Youth Aid Panel, a diversionary program for children and teens facing summary and misdemeanor charges, according to…
