by Joey Garrison , USA Today Network - Tennessee - Nashville and Memphis received great fanfare last fall from criminal
justice advocates for passing local ordinances that gave police the
power to reduce penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana.
But now it's over after just seven months.
Tennessee
Gov. Bill Haslam on Wednesday signed into law Republican-backed
legislation to repeal separate Nashville and Memphis laws that had
allowed partial marijuana decriminalization in those communities,
officially putting an end to the short-lived policies.
... Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery issued a legal opinion in November ....“A municipal ordinance that attempts to regulate a field that is
regulated by state statute cannot stand if it is contradictory to state
law,” Slatery wrote in his opinion.
Metro Director of Law Jon Cooper said in November that he disagreed
with Slatery, arguing the ordinance was not preempted by state law.
Supporters of the ordinance have argued it works within the confines of
state law, likening the measure to Metro’s laws for litter and seat
belts, both of which have penalties that are not as severe as those
outlined in state law. (link)
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