Marijuana. Pot. Weed. Dope. Whatever you call it, it’s the drug of choice for many college students and Philadelphians.
Marijuana’s also illegal in the city, and those in Philadelphia caught with 30 grams or less of the substance right now can face up to one month in jail and $500 in fines. But these penalties may change sometime soon. Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams proposed a new policy that would downgrade possession of 30 grams or less from a misdemeanor to a summary offense — and would reduce the punishment to a possible fine and no mark on a person’s criminal record.
We support Williams’ proposal and think it should be implemented. But our support has nothing to do with whether or not we condone marijuana use. We believe this proposal will be beneficial because it will allow the city to be more efficient about fighting crime.
Eliminating the possibility of jail time for possession of small amounts of marijuana could eliminate 5 percent of cases in criminal court, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. As a result, the District Attorney’s office would have a lighter workload and would be able to invest more of its efforts into handling more serious crimes. In a city where the courts are overcrowded and resources are limited, increasing the criminal justice systems’ efficiency will allow the District Attorney’s office to better keep people safe.
