Today was the last city council vote on the new ordinance to decriminalize marijuana in Orlando. According to Fox News, the measure was passed 4 to 3 and will take effect Oct. 1.

People caught with 20 grams or less of cannabis will now face a civil charge resulting in a fine of $100, $200 for second offenders. They may also be asked to attend a drug and alcohol class, or to complete community service hours.

The bill had Mayor Buddy Dyer’s support prior to the vote this afternoon. He hopes it will prevent kids from paying for teenage mistakes for the rest of their lives.

“What we’re saying is to someone who has made a youthful mistake for the first time and they have no other background of any sort and are not associated with any crimes we’re probably going to be able to give them a second chance,” Dyer said.

The original bill went through several revisions done by the Orlando City Council before it was approved. To read more about the new measure, check out the full article.

Collegian Green Report Blogger Capelli D’Angelo can be reached online at blogs@collegian.com.