A bill introduced in March by Councilman Kwanza Hall, aimed to decriminalize marijuana in Atlanta, was unanimously passed in a 15-0 decision by Atlanta’s city council on Monday, October 2nd.

Individuals caught with less than one ounce of marijuana in the City of Atlanta will no longer face six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

The new bill calls for only a $75 fine – without incarceration – for the possession of one ounce or less of marijuana.

The new bill is designed to reduce racial disparities within the criminal justice system of the city Atlanta. According to City Councilman Kwanza Hall, 92 percent of those arrest for marijuana with Atlanta city limits – between 2014 and 2016 – were black. Officials hope that enforcing such drug laws and neutralizing uneven policing within the city will push for the discriminatory statistic to dwindle down.

This change in Atlanta’s law doesn’t make it legal to possess marijuana. Legalization lifts or abolishes previous or former laws, whereas decriminalization – which applies to this case – loosens criminal sentences or punishes for disobeying pre-existing laws.

It is also important to note that the passing of this bill apply to the entire state of Georgia. Only those caught with an ounce or less of marijuana within Atlanta city limits will be penalized with the $75 fine.