St. Peters, MO Public Conduct: Public Marijuana Use (2026)
Key Facts
- Offense
- Possessing or controlling marijuana anywhere in the City
- Exception
- Conduct authorized under RSMo Sections 195.005 to 195.425
- Possession types covered
- Actual or constructive; sole or joint
- Location limit
- None; ban applies citywide, public or private
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine and/or 90 days jail (Section 100.060)
- Citation
- St. Peters Municipal Code Section 210.300
Summary
Section 210.300 of the St. Peters Municipal Code bans possessing or controlling marijuana anywhere in the City, public or private, except where a person's conduct is authorized under Sections 195.005 to 195.425 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri. The ordinance carries no location carve-out for streets, parks or sidewalks, so possession in a public place is charged the same as possession anywhere else.
B. Possession Or Control Of Marijuana. It shall be unlawful for any person to possess or have under such person's control marijuana, except as authorized by Sections 195.005 to 195.425, RSMo., as amended.
Full Breakdown
Section 210.300, originally adopted by Ordinance No. 2329 in 1995 and last amended by Ordinance No. 7118 on April 11, 2019, defines "marijuana" to cover all parts of the Cannabis plant genus and its derivatives, excluding industrial hemp, sterilized seed incapable of germination, and certain stalk and fiber byproducts. "Possessed or possessing" is defined to reach both actual possession, meaning the substance is on the person or within easy reach, and constructive possession, meaning the person has the power and intent to control it even without physical custody; possession can be sole or joint between two or more people.
The operative prohibition in Subsection B is a single sentence: it is unlawful to possess or have under one's control marijuana, except as authorized by Sections 195.005 to 195.425, RSMo, as amended, so the local ban tracks whatever conduct state law currently authorizes rather than fixing its own exceptions. The section states no dedicated fine, so a violation is punished under the City's general penalty, Section 100.060, and is prosecuted in the St. Peters Municipal Court like other ordinance violations. Because the definitions carry over the RSMo Section 195.010 framework rather than the City's own drafting, enforcement officers and courts look to that state definition when disputes arise over what counts as marijuana or as possession.
Violations & Fines
A conviction under Section 210.300 is punished under the City's general penalty, Section 100.060: a fine of up to $500, imprisonment of up to 90 days, or both, prosecuted in the St. Peters Municipal Court. Each day a continuing violation persists is treated as a separate offense under Section 100.060(D), though a single possession charge is typically a one-time offense rather than a continuing one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is possessing marijuana illegal under the St. Peters City Code?
Does the ordinance target only public marijuana use?
What state law exception applies to the local ban?
What penalty follows a conviction under Section 210.300?
Sources & Official References
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