Title
Amending Chapter 10-800 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Safety," by providing for ending the existing procedure of mandatory custodial arrests for the crime of
Marijuana possession, and by requiring the reporting of the number of arrests and related information with respect to those arrested for
Marijuana possession; all under certain terms and conditions.
Body
WHEREAS, The federal government's war on drugs has failed. Otherwise law-abiding adults are being arrested and imprisoned for nonviolent
marijuana offenses, which is clogging courts and jails. Each year Pennsylvania spends nearly $350 million of taxpayer money enforcing
marijuana laws. Decades of arresting millions of
marijuana users nationwide have failed to control
marijuana use or reduce its availability. Minorities are disproportionately impacted by
marijuana laws, with African Americans five times more likely to be arrested for
marijuana offenses than other persons; and
WHEREAS, Although the City of Philadelphia has begun to engage in meaningful
marijuana reform, primarily under the leadership of the Philadelphia District Attorney's "Small Amounts of
Marijuana" (SAM) program, Philadelphia still has the most punitive arrest policies of any county in Pennsylvania for those in possession of 30 grams of
marijuana or less; and
WHEREAS, While neighboring Montgomery County, and many other counties, issue summons and fines for the vast majority of SAM-only violations, the City and County of Philadelphia requires a mandatory arrest in every single case; and
WHEREAS, In 2012 alone, Philadelphia Police spent thousands of hours and substantial public funds on 3,709 separate incidents of physically handcuffing, arresting, and processing adults guilty of possessing
marijuana; and
WHEREAS, Of the adults arrested for
marijuana possession in 2012, 89 percent, or 3,319 individuals, were African American; and
WHEREAS, If the District Attorney's SAM progr...
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