On Thursday the New Orleans City Council took the first step on the road to the decriminalizing the possession of marijuana.
In a 7-0 vote on the proposed ordinance, the Council gave preliminary approval so the measure could proceed to the criminal justice committee for vetting before returning to the council for a vote on enacting the ordinance.
It’s important to note that this ordinance only involves the New Orleans Police Department in enacting an automatic pardon on people found to be in possession.
If you are stopped by another law enforcement officer, i.e.; Louisiana State Police, you could still be ticketed and/or arrested under standing state laws.
Quoting a press release from the ordinance’s main proponent, City Council President Helena Moreno: “Thousands of tickets are written annually predominantly to Black people. 60% of the accused fail to appear in court which leads to additional summons or warrant attachments. A further issue is that even if someone pays a ticket, which means they have pleaded guilty and now have a drug conviction that can result in employment and housing challenges.”
Moreno has also issued a report showing various samples of data, including that of 2400 municipal summons were issued in 2019 with 86% issued to Black people. The manpower hours for writing police reports, supervisor review, and logging of evidence associated with the summons averages about an hour per summons issued. Council President Moreno believes that police manpower can be better utilized focusing on more serious matters than writing pot tickets.
From her release on the ordinance, here is why Moreno is working for a change in opinion on pot and law enforcement:
[The Ordinance] Prioritizes police and court resources for more serious matters.
[The Ordinance is] a positive step toward racial and social justice.
[The Ordinance] Keeps people from being entangled in fines and fees of the criminal justice system.
"Decriminalizing cannabis isn’t just about promoting equal justice, this also speaks to better use of our NOPD resources and a force multiplier to help focus on calls for service," said Moreno.
Decriminalizing marijuana possession is a not a blanket repeal of established rules. “This proposal also includes expanding the “smoke-free” section of the municipal code to prohibit cannabis smoking where tobacco smoking is prohibited and in any public spaces. This is consistent with municipalities across the country that allow for possession of small amounts of cannabis but restrict smoking it for public health purposes.”