St. Louis Lawmakers Unanimously Approve Bill To Decriminalize Marijuana Possession And Cultivation

St. Louis lawmakers on Tuesday unanimously approved a bill to decriminalize marijuana possession and cultivation for adults.

The Board of Aldermen voted 23-0 on final passage of the cannabis measure, days after giving it preliminary approval.

The proposal from Alderman Bret Narayan (D) wouldn’t change Missouri state laws that continue to criminalize marijuana, but local ordinances penalizing low-level possession and cultivation would be repealed.

“This bill basically just harmonizes our local ordinance with the state’s constitution, as well as further decriminalizes small amounts of marijuana,” Narayan said ahead of the vote on Tuesday. “It has the buy-in from the public safety director, it has the buy-in from the director of personnel. We’ve talked to basically every stakeholder along the way.”