A plan to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana passed a first vote Wednesday in Pittsburgh City Council.
Now that it has passed the initial vote, the council must formally approve it in another vote -- which is expected -- and Mayor Bill Peduto says he'll sign it.
If the ordinance passes, police could fine people $25 to $100 and seize the drugs, as long as the person has less than 30 grams of marijuana. That's about an ounce. People could have about eight grams of hash.
Supporters say the law would prevent people from having a criminal record for a minor offense that some argue disproportionately affects black people. Pittsburgh's police chief is behind the move, too.
Decriminalization of marijuana does not mean legalization.
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