WEBB CITY, Mo. — Following the passing of Amendment 3 in the fall, many cities across the state of Missouri are taking a closer look at ordinances surrounding the use of marijuana.
Such is the case in Webb City.
“It’s kind of hard to write a citation by an officer for a constitutional amendment, even though it was in the constitutional amendment, it’s illegal to use in a public place. There was no penalty, so we had to create an ordinance to make it a penalty,” said Carl Francis, City Administrator, Webb City.
Many area cities are working to navigate Amendment 3 into their ordinances.
In Webb City, council members quickly became concerned with the use of marijuana in public spaces – as calls to the police department started not long after the amendment passed.
“The key issue the public consumption, public use of marijuana, is what we needed to get so that our officers could at least have something to enforce on city ordinance. We have received complaints of people smoking marijuana in public places,” said Francis.
Places like sidewalks, public parks, and businesses.
Francis says those who have been suspected of those actions thought it was perfectly legal.
“Tonight’s actions, the council was just interested in making sure people didn’t use marijuana or smoke marijuana in an area where there’s parks, children, some of the…
