A year ago Philadelphia decriminalized marijuana, though the main actors in that historical moment—the mayor and a City Councilman—have vastly differing views of the plant itself.
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He walked in minutes ahead of the Mayor of Philadelphia and took a seat in one of the large chairs on the left side of the Mayor’s Reception Room on the second floor of City Hall.
Mr. Jim Kenney, an At-large City Councilman at the time, sat with his legs crossed, in his usual laid back demeanor, though he projected a quiet sense of pride and accomplishment, making it known, albeit subtle, that the impending signing of a major bill into law wasn’t lost on him.
A couple of pro-marijuana activists walked up to him and either shook his hand or gave him a high-five; he smiled, and then returned back to his original sitting position.
Mr. Michael A. Nutter, the mayor, and his executive team arrived shortly after that and the October 1st, 2014, press conference announcing the decriminalization of marijuana began.
Philadelphia made history a year ago today, becoming the first big American city to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana: thirty grams or less, you won’t be treated like a criminal, said the Mayor.
“Policies are changing to reflect the high cost of the war on drugs,” said Mr. Nutter, who reiterated several times that the bill’s signing marked the decriminalization, not legalization, of marijuana. “
According to the law that became effective on October 20th, 2014, an encounter between a citizen and a police officer wherein less than 30 grams of marijuana is discovered won’t result in arrest or criminal record, but a civil penalty of $25.
And those caught smoking the plant outside will receive a $100 fine or nine hours of community service.
“These are common sense changes,” said Mr. Nutter, who was in opposition to the bill, and stated during the press conference that he doesn’t condone marijuana usage.
Mr. Nutter’s views on the plant differ greatly from Mr. Kenney’s, the bill’s sponsor and current Democratic nominee for Mayor of Philadelphia.
“It’s not as problematic as people make it out to be,” he said, “I don’t think it should’ve ever been illegal. Weed is a lot less harmful, in my view, than alcohol.”
Mr. Kenney, not shy when talking about race, suggested that the only reason weed is illegal is because an all-white male Congress wanted it that way after seeing it used by so many black and brown people.
A place in Philadelphia where weed seems to have long been decriminalized, or even quasi-legalized, is in the heart of South Philadelphia, Mr. Kenney implied.
“At the parking lot of an Eagles’ tailgate party, you’d find more people smoking weed than you’d ever believe,” Mr. Kenney told me, in an exclusive interview following the press conference.
It was the racial disparities in arrests of marijuana users—83 percent black or Latino and only 17 percent White—that led Mr. Kenney to advocate for the bill, and Mr. Nutter to sign it.
But the increase in police officer productivity was a factor, too.
“I lost 17,000 hours of police work last year because they were processing people for small amounts of marijuana,” said Mr. Kenney, “that’s a waste of time.”
Mr. Kenney also noted that “this type of action will keep kids out of the criminal justice system.”
“The less people we have in our criminal justice system, the better,” he said.
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Photo: Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter signs a bill into law that decriminalizes marijuana/C. Norris – ©2015
It’s good seeing this political climate change, where something that is a peaceful medication and way to relax is also being made more available. natural herbal medicine is great