CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) -
Chicagoans strongly support City Hall's plan to stop arresting people possessing small amounts of marijuana -- instead giving them a ticket, an administrative hearing and possible fine.
Our exclusive FOX Chicago News Poll found 70 percent favored decriminalizing pot; 26 percent opposed; and 5 percent were unsure.
But the proposed enforcement changes may not be cause for potheads to celebrate. The president of police union agreed with City Hall predictions that the net effect would likely be that more pot smokers will end up paying more in fines.
Michael Shields, president of Local 7 of the Fraternal Order of Police, said, "Enforcement will go up. And revenue will also increase."
The City Council could give final approval this week to the dramatic changes in marijuana enforcement. The idea is more popular with some residents than others.
Our FOX Chicago poll, conducted by We Ask America, found 53 percent of Hispanics favored decriminalizing enforcement for small amounts of marijuana, 44 percent opposed, 3 percent were unsure. Among African-Americans, it was 63 percent to 31 percent, with 6 percent unsure. Among whites, it was an overwhelming 79 percent to 18 percent, with 3 percent unsure.
Some have called for similar non-criminal punishment for possessing small amounts of harder drugs such as heroin, cocaine. But most Chicagoans disagree: 59 percent. Only 33 percent agree; with 8 percent unsure. Blacks, Hispanics and whites had similar views on this question.
Dan Linn is executive director of the Illinois chapter of the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws. He favors legalizing and regulating marijuana much as alcoholic beverages are. Still, he supports City Hall's proposed change as a step forward, and notes that, as a state legislator, Barack Obama used to tell Chicago teenagers not to repeat his own youthful use of drugs.
"We have a President in the office right now who admits to using both cocaine and cannabis." Linn said. "But, if he had been arrested for either of those substances, he probably wouldn't have been elected right now."
For the We Ask America survey, 1,273 Chicagoans participated. It is accurate to within plus or minus 2.75 percentage points.
