Nashville is now the first city in Tennessee to decrease the penalty for small amounts of marijuana. The Metro City Council on Tuesday voted 35-3 to pass an ordinance that will impose a civil penalty of $50 and possible community service for those caught with less than a half ounce of pot. Supporters say the bill gives Nashville police the option of choosing the lesser penalty on a case-by-case basis. Under state law, people caught with less than a half ounce of weed face a $2.500 fine and a misdemeanor charge punishable by up to a year in jail.