The legal consequences of possessing a small amount of marijuana for personal use will be studied by Fort Dodge officials.

The City Council on Monday authorized City Manager David Fierke to put together a task force to study the issue and submit a report by Oct. 1.

The task force will consist of:

• One person selected by City Attorney Mark Crimmins.

• One member of the Fort Dodge Human Rights Commission.

• One defense attorney.

• One person selected by Police Chief Roger Porter.

• Two members of the community with a demonstrated interest in the issue.

The original plan for the task force called for a member who has a background in substance abuse treatment. Councilman Neven Conrad recommended replacing that individual with someone selected by the police chief. He said adding someone picked by the police chief would give the task force more credibility.

The council unanimously approved the creation of the task force. There was no discussion regarding the merits of any potential changes to enforcement of marijuana laws.