Pubdate: Sat, 17 May 2014
Source: Washington Afro American, The (DC)
Copyright: 2014 AFRO
Contact: https://www.afro.com/contact-us.htm
Website: https://www.afro.com/sections/news/washington/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5318
Author: Maria Adebola

U.S. ATTORNEY FOR D.C.'S OFFICE EXPLAINS POLICY ON MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZATION

As Congress weighs a Washington, D.C. law that decriminalizes 
possession of a small amount of marijuana, the office of the U.S. 
Attorney for the District of Columbia has released a statement 
explaining its policy on the issue.

According to the statement, under the D.C. bill signed by Mayor 
Vincent Gray in March. smoking marijuana in public would remain a 
criminal offense. Anyone who smokes marijuana on federal property 
could still be prosecuted under the D.C. law.

"Individuals arrested for merely possessing, but not using, less than 
one ounce of marijuana on federal property would be presented to our 
office for potential prosecution under federal law," said William 
Miller, public information officer for the U.S. Attorney for the 
District of Columbia. "We will assess each case on an individualized 
basis, weighing all available information and evidence, consistent 
with Justice Department enforcement priorities and the need to use 
our limited investigative and prosecutorial resources to address the 
most significant threats to public safety. We rely heavily on 
diversion programs in our local marijuana prosecutions, and would 
likely do the same with respect to federal offenses."

U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen himself has not yet made a statement on the issue.

In March, Mayor Vincent Gray signed a bill which makes the possession 
of less than one ounce of marijuana a civil offense subject to a $25 
fine. Smoking marijuana would still be a crime, but the maximum 
punishment would be reduced from a $1,000 fine and six months in jail 
to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. But Congress must review the law 
before it can take effect.

The bill was introduced by Councilmembers Tommy Wells and Marion 
Barry and was passed in response to two studies of law enforcement 
records in the District. The studies found that nine out of 10 
arrests for simple drug possession were of African Americans.

A 2010 American Civil Liberties Union report found police in D.C. 
made 836 arrests per 100,000 residents for possession of marijuana. 
Nationally, 256 people out of every 100,000 were arrested for possession.
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