Senate panel defeats Tennessee pot decriminalization bill
![dbbd8c68-marijuana-pot-weed_1475331822355-404023.jpg](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox5atlanta.com/www.fox5atlanta.com/content/uploads/2019/09/764/432/marijuana-pot-weed_1475331822355_2121508_ver1.0_640_360.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
(FoxNews.com)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A bill seeking to reduce the penalty for possessing small amounts of marijuana in Tennessee has been extinguished in a state Senate committee.
The Judiciary Committee voted 6-3 on Tuesday against the measure sponsored by Sen. Jeff Yarbro. The bill would have made possession of less than one-eighth of an ounce of marijuana a Class C misdemeanor punishably by a fine of no more than $50.
Pot possession is currently a Class A misdemeanor that can be punished with up to nearly a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.
The legislation was filed by Yarbro and Rep. Harold Love, a fellow Nashville Democrat, in response to a Republican bill to repeal any city ordinances to reduce the penalty for people who possess small amounts of marijuana.
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Information from: The Tennessean, http://www.tennessean.com