Portland is one step closer to being the next city to consider decriminalizing the possession of an ounce or less of marijuana.

This week Portland’s City Attorney's Office approved a ballot title for the November 2008 election. Measure 8's ballot title caption is "Assets criminal penalty exemption for possession of marijuana in Portland."

About a dozen cities including Denver, already have laws that decriminalize possessing small amounts of marijuana.

Parker Bell is behind the local effort, also known as The Portland Marijuana Project.

"Most people that smoke pot aren't criminals," said Bell. "We're working class people with blue-collar jobs and that's basically why we're doing this."

Right now, possession of under an ounce of marijuana is a misdemeanor in Portland. Under the proposed measure, possessing that much pot wouldn't be a crime for those over 21. But Bell stresses, decriminalization is not the same as legalization.

"Legalization brings commerce and money into it, and allows the sale of it and (decriminalization) has nothing to do with that," said Bell.

"We think it's a bad idea all the way around," said Pete Shulberg, with Oregon Partnership, a drug and alcohol prevention organization.

Shulberg said decriminalizing possession of even small amounts of marijuana would send the wrong message to kids, and threaten to aggravate a growing problem among teens.

"The latest state healthy teens survey shows that more kids in Oregon high schools are smoking marijuana than cigarettes," said Shulberg.

Bell says he expects to start collecting petition signatures next Friday. To get Measure 8 on the ballot, he'll need 27,255 signatures by July 7.