Marijuana Policy Project

County Board members passed a proposal that decriminalizes possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana, enough for about 3 to 5 cigarettes, for personal use.

Instead, an arresting officer would have the discretion to write a ticket—rather than file criminal charges.

"Why bog down the courts with that kind of thing when we can just charge them a little fine instead? That's what this ordinance in the state allows us to do, to charge them a little fine, and then we will collect the fine rather than them charging them, taking them to the jail lockup, having them the next morning show up in court, and then bogging down the system, and they take the fine," said Commissioner Earlean Collins, chief sponsor of the measure.

CBS 2 Mike Flannery reports that while a majority of commissioners supported the idea, Board President Todd Stroger would not say whether he would sign the bill.

"I don't know. I wasn't paying enough attention to it. I'll find out about it later," Stroger said. "I can't comment on it."

If Stroger does sign the measure, it would take effect within 60 days. It would change enforcement policies initially only in the unincorporated sections of the county that the County Board rules over directly.

But county commissioners said local police departments, including in the City of Chicago, would have the option of choosing on their own to use the ordinance.

Commissioner Bill Beavers said in support of the idea: "Lots of college towns do this. We're just catching up to the 21st century."

But Sheriff Tom Dart said the County Board's move is premature.

"It should be looked at, but as far as decriminalizing it, there needs to be a real thorough debate before people go down that road as far as what A, scientifically what information shows, but then B, what prosecutorially have been done with the cases," Dart said.