Baltimore To Stop Prosecuting Marijuana Possession, Vacate 5,000 Convictions

[packman]

Source: Huffington Post

The city of Baltimore is moving to decriminalize marijuana possession and will take steps to vacate nearly 5,000 marijuana-related convictions, according to State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby.

...

Data collected by publication Baltimore Fishbowl found between 2015 through 2017, 96 percent of marijuana possession arrests were black individuals.

Those previously charged with felony distribution of marijuana will instead be referred to a diversion program with the goal of letting past offenders enter the job market and eventually erasing the conviction from their records. The amount of marijuana found and a person’s prior criminal record will not play a role in a decision to prosecute, but Mosby clarified that the new policy does not apply to cases where a defendant faces multiple charges other than marijuana possession.

Mosby said resources used to prosecute marijuana cases can now be diverted to larger issues, including gun violence.




Read more: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/baltimore-will-no-longer-prosecute-marijuana-possession_us_5c50765be4b0f43e410b3d68

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Sounds reasonable, logical and a step forward in treating a specific drug addiction

[DirtEdonE]

2. Yet here in nearby New Jersey

The cops are still busting people for simple pot possession. New Jersey has been the biggest pot busting state in the union for years. We got rid of chris christie finally yet we still have more pot busts than any other state. We had two "big" busts just recently. What a total waste of resources.

Meanwhile, internet gambling, championed by none other than criminal former governor chris christie, has snared over $1 BILLION in revenue while the state has garnered a whopping $8 million in tax revenue.

We have total Democratic rule here now. Someone in Trenton needs to stop goofing around and do the right thing - legalize already so we can stop the cop unions from needlessly destroying more lives while the casino industry profits from creating more degenerate gamblers.

https://www.nj.com/warren/2019/01/50-plus-pounds-of-marijuana-products-seized-in-warren-county-arrest.html

https://www.nj.com/bergen/2019/01/police-seize-46-marijuana-plants-from-nj-house-after-call-for-welfare-check.html

They're even suspending doctors who have the courage to help people get into a medical program whose implementation was totally wrecked by then governor chris christie.

Dr. Anzalone is a HERO who single-handedly aided more people in qualifying for the NJ medical marijuana program than any other doctor in New Jersey.

https://www.nj.com/essex/2019/01/dr-marijuana-suspended-for-indiscriminately-referring-thousands-of-patients-for-medical-weed.html

I feel like I'm living in bizzaro New Jersey. We control New Jersey now, Democrats! Legalize it already. And FIX the medical program chris christie so cavalierly ruined.

[Scurrilous]

3. K&R

[oldsoftie]

4. Ridiculous to waste a jail cell for weed when a violent crook could be in there

[ROB-ROX]

5. Progressive States Pot FREE

The waste of resources to criminalize people who use POT is criminal. The republicans supporting the tobacco and alcohol companies have lost the war. The states which support prohibition against their people will be surrounded by legal states where people can buy what they require for a better life. I think republicans hate the idea of people being HAPPY or having a BETTER life......