Sugar Grove loosens up its marijuana law :: Beacon News :: News
SUGAR GROVE — In an unusual move in the Fox Valley, village police plan to start writing tickets — instead of making arrests — for first-timers caught with small amounts of marijuana.

Police Chief Bradley Sauer said the change will keep officers from spending long hours in court on minor drug charges and also allow those who slip up just once to keep their records clean.

“This is a warning on steroids,” he said.

Tickets for first-time marijuana possession or drug paraphernalia possession will be $200. Sauer said those fines were in line with the fees judges typically hand down in court.

Both marijuana and paraphernalia possession are state violations, but towns can change those to town ordinances if they want, said Kane County State’s Attorney John Barsanti. However, village ordinances cannot carry any jail time, only fines.

Look, over 70% of Americans favor fine-only penalties for marijuana use.  Sugar Grove is making a sensible change to best use their limited police resources.  Every marijuana arrest means taking an officer off the streets for paperwork, booking, and testifying against someone who, aside from smoking marijuana, is probably a decent, hard-working, productive citizen.