Politics Charm City Gets More Charming: Baltimore To Stop Prosecuting All Cannabis Possession Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced on Tuesday that her office will no longer prosecute people for cannabis possession. Though cannabis is decriminalized in Maryland, the move follows mounting evidence that black citizens are far more likely to be arrested than anyone else. Mosby indicated that regardless of the amount of marijuana taken or the criminal history of the accused, she would be focussing on more important matters. Real public safety priorities “When I ask myself: Is the enforcement and prosecution of marijuana possession making us safer as a city? The answer is emphatically ‘no,’” Mosby said at The Center For Urban Families in West Baltimore. The city of Baltimore had 349 homicides in 2017, and Mosby believes it’s a waste of the city’s money: “No one thinks spending resources to jail people for marijuana is a good use of our limited time and resources.” Chipping away at racist policies She would also like to see the courts vacate the nearly 5,000 cannabis possession convictions already on the books. With Maryland currently looking to expand its medical program, and recreational shops already open elsewhere on the east coast, one could argue that Mosby is simply trying to end years of racist practices that have decimated Baltimore and many other cities. Splimm would believe that argument. Mosby’s decision is a reflection of her history as a prosecutor. Since 2014, 88 percent of all marijuana possession cases have been dropped. Interim police commissioner and former DEA agent Gary Tuggle, however, promised to keep being kind of a dick about things. He stated that “Baltimore Police will continue to make arrests for illegal marijuana possession unless and until the state legislature changes the law regarding marijuana possession.” Tuggle was unclear if this means Baltimore police will continue to arrest black people at a rate six times higher than white people for the same crime, or if they’ll try to get closer to the national average of four to one. Even though everyone loves weed the same. Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)MoreClick to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Splimm Team Jenn Lauder is a media maker, content creator, community builder, and marketing strategist in the cannabis space. Se has a decade of experience as a progressive, anti-bias educator in independent and public schools and spent five years at nonprofits offering services and advocacy for children and families. Jenn is half of the founding team of Weekend Review Kit, a cannabis review and lifestyle site; has written for numerous print and online media outlets; and directs marketing and advocacy efforts for an herbal products company. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Wesleyan University and attended graduate school at Harvard University and Goddard College. Of Jenn’s many jobs, her favorite is being a mama to her nine-year-old daughter. Share This Previous ArticleCBD-Enhanced Smoothie for the Breakfast Win Next ArticleGet High & Get Your Beard Groomed: A Cool Dad's Guide January 30, 2019