Springettsbury supervisors ask solicitor to draft ordinance to simplify small-quantity marijuana enforcement

Springettsbury Township supervisors voted to send a proposed ordinance to the solicitor and staff for drafting that would treat possession of small amounts of marijuana and marijuana paraphernalia as a township summary offense rather than a misdemeanor court process.

Supporters, including Chief Todd King and Corporal Russell Shower, framed the change as an efficiency measure. "What we have before you tonight is a proposal for a township ordinance in regards to the possession of a small amount of marijuana or also the possession of marijuana paraphernalia," Sergeant/Corporal Russell Shower told the board, outlining a shorter enforcement sequence that would use on-scene citations and township evidence storage. Presenters said the proposed penalty would mirror existing misdemeanor fines: not more than $1,000 plus costs.

The presenters traced the current, lengthier process: officers prepare criminal complaints, submit suspected marijuana to the Pennsylvania State Police lab for testing, and are frequently subpoenaed multiple times to district justice and common pleas proceedings, which consumes officer time and can require overtime. The police said Springettsbury had 84 marijuana-related misdemeanor cases in 2023 and 109 in 2024, trends they said were unlikely to decline.

Under the proposed approach, officers would issue a non-traffic summary citation at the scene, submit evidence to the township evidence locker, and most cases would conclude at the district justice level without lab testing unless a defendant appealed to summary appeals. Presenters emphasized the township would retain fine revenue from ordinance citations and that the fine ceiling remains aligned with the existing misdemeanor range.

Solicitor Sanders told the board the office would draft the ordinance in coordination with the chief and staff. Sanders clarified the drafting step does not enact the ordinance: it authorizes the solicitor to prepare language for the board's later review and possible advertisement.

Board members asked procedural and legal questions; Sanders and presenters said the ordinance would mirror Pennsylvania statutory definitions for "small amount" (Title 35 definitions discussed by presenters: up to 30 grams marijuana or up to 8 grams hashish) and would apply to adults only and not to cases where a more serious charge (such as weapons or retail theft) is present. The presenters said the ordinance would not preclude the department from pursuing misdemeanor charges for repeat offenders or where other offenses are charged.

The board approved a motion to proceed with drafting the ordinance; the motion was moved by a supervisor and seconded, and the board voted in favor. The solicitor and chief will coordinate draft language and return it to the board for review and any required advertisement or public hearing.