Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati

Watch Cecil Thomas get basic facts wrong, as well as share his conviction that Hamilton County should be a dry county and outlaw alcohol!

In the City of Cincinnati, any possession of marijuana under 200 grams is punishable by incarceration of up to 30 days.  The following states have decriminalized marijuana possession for small amounts: Oregon, California, Nevada, Colorado, Nebraska, Mississippi, N. Carolina, Maine, Ohio, Minnesota, New York, and Alaska—totally 12 states (source).

This factual information contradicts what Cecil Thomas said at the Law and Public Safety Committee meeting when they voted to extend the City’s anti-marijuana laws (click on the link and you can fast-forward to the final minute of the file for Thomas’ statements).

Thomas said, “The other 47 states have similar laws that Cincinnati has.  The other 47.  And in a number of those states, their crime rates are way down.”

In the video file above, Thomas claimed the other 47 states have possible jail time for possession of marijuana.  While that may be true in some cases, the twelve states listed above have decriminalized marijuana for small amounts—meaning no jail time is possible.

In fact, Ohio is one of the states with decriminalized marijuana laws.  According to Ohio, 100 grams does not get you jail time.  But in Cincinnati, it can.

Thomas gave factually incorrect information at his committee, and this bad data may have influenced the votes of his colleagues.  I call that a mis-vote, and the issue should be brought up for a vote again.

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