A new Washington, D.C. law that decriminalizes up to an ounce of marijuana begins today, signaling a profound shift in the city’s drug policy.
Instead of the possibility of arrest, people with less than an ounce of marijuana now face a ticket and a $25 fine — less than the fine for littering, reports The Washington Post. (Oregon, by the way, decriminalized up to an ounce of marijuana more than four decades ago. Here’s a list of other states where possession of a small amount of pot is decriminalized.)
It remains illegal to consume marijuana in public.
Cops will hand out these wallet-sized cards with details about the new law, the Post reports.
Staff writer Peter Hermann has the details:
The advent of the new law, spurred by reports of stark racial disparities in marijuana arrest statistics, means a change in how police handle one of the most common violations they encounter. Under new orders set to take effect July 17, police can no longer take action upon simply smelling the odor of marijuana. Nor can they demand that a person found in possession of up to one ounce produce identification.
Those found with larger amounts or caught using marijuana in public places can still be arrested and charged with a crime, but otherwise officers who catch someone carrying weed will be required to simply confiscate any visible contraband and write a ticket carrying a $25 fine.
D.C. police are unhappy with the policy shift, report Hermann and fellow Washington Post staff writer Mike DeBonis. Police union chairman Delroy Burton told the Post that the law is confusing, particularly on the issue of when police may search or arrest a suspect on a marijuana-related accusation.
The new order says that the odor of marijuana does not constitute a “reasonable articulable suspicion” that the law has been violated. An officer must have evidence that a person has more than 1 ounce of the drug. And an officer cannot assume a person has a larger amount just because he or she is holding “multiple containers” of the drug.
But the order says that none of those restrictions apply to car stops when police are “investigating whether a person is operating or in physical control of a vehicle” while intoxicated or impaired by drugs.
Burton said these rules create an almost impossible burden on how an officer approaches and investigates a suspected drug violation. He said the law seems to prohibit an officer from investigating an odor during a car stop for speeding or running a red light. To be safe, he said, officers “are probably going to ignore” possible drug infractions.
Get caught with a joint — $25 fine. Throw the butt on the sidewalk — $75 fine. New era in DC. http://t.co/2mQiEh6aj3
— Peter Hermann (@phscoop) July 17, 2014
– Noelle Crombie
Marijuana news: Starting Thursday, possession of up to 1 ounce of pot means a ticket and $25 fine ...
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