Press Release: PhillyNORML Statement on Local Marijuana Change

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Rob Dougherty [email protected] Derek Rosenzweig [email protected] Chris Goldstein [email protected] Philadelphia is not decriminalizing pot Yesterday Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams announced a change in how minor marijuana possession offenses will be treated. To be clear: Philly is not decriminalizing cannabis. However, the shift in prosecutor and court procedures will treat marijuana consumers less harshly while saving the city a significant chunk of public safety resources. PhillyNORML welcomes the change. Arrests for minor marijuana offenses have been growing steadily over the last 5 years. In 2008 there were 4716 adults who faced the stand-alone violation of possession less than 30 grams. There is also a racial disparity to the arrests with over 70% being black men. Again, the pragmatic procedure shift cannot be described as "decriminalization" because Pennsylvania state law still classifies marijuana possession as the lowest level of criminal offense; a Class-A Criminal Misdemeanor. Specifically, the proposed procedure change for marijuana will see a policy made of common practice. Most offenders currently arrested for less than 30 grams in the city plead to disorderly conduct or other lesser offenses. This keeps a drug conviction off their record and allows for a more lenient sentence than the up to 30 days in jail that a pot conviction could net. DA Williams, with the backing of the state Supreme Court, are proposing to have offenders simply pay a fine and go to a diversionary court to streamline the process. This will immediately take the marijuana arrest burden off of the criminal courts. The proposed change would also result in a tangibly less traumatic experience for Philadelphia cannabis consumers who run afoul of prohibition laws. PhillyNORML welcomes an open debate with legislators and the public on the prospect of decriminalizing marijuana in Pennsylvania. There are almost 30,000 marijuana arrests in PA every year, most are for minor possession. www.phillynorml.org CONTACT: Chris Goldstein: [email protected]