WOODSTOCK – As Crystal Lake officials mull changing how police handle smaller marijuana cases, attorneys say misdemeanor possession charges often are not worth the time and resources they take.

“The people of the state of Illinois can’t afford to bring somebody in from a crime lab to testify about a pissant amount of cannabis,” defense attorney Dan Hofmann said. “It’s ludicrous and it’s a remarkable waste of resources.”

On Tuesday, the Crystal Lake City Council held off on an ordinance that would allow police to issue a ticket for possession of less than 30 grams of marijuana rather than make a misdemeanor arrest.