ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - St. Pete delays vote on ticketing pot possession violators.
The St. Petersburg City Council has a delayed a vote on decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana until a diversion program is created.
The council voted 8-0 on Thursday to defer the ordinance. St. Petersburg police urged them to wait until the program proposed by Sheriff Bob Gualtieri is ready, which should take about three more months.
The Tampa Bay Times reports the program is expected to be ready in about three months.
The ordinance would allow officers to issued citations for the first three offenses of 20 grams or less of marijuana. It also covers other minor offenses, including trespassing and public intoxication.
Tampa passed a similar ordinance in March, as have many other Florida cities.
