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Evanston Decriminalizes Marijuana

Evanston, Illinois, is where I’m from. Getting caught with less than 10 grams of weed will not be an arrestable offense and won’t go on your criminal record. “It does not say that it’s okay to smoke pot, but it does say that they don’t have to live in fear of having a record follow them the rest of their…

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NYPD Stop and Frisks and Marijuana Arrests

WNYC reporter Ailsa Chang reports on the curious link between stop and frisks and marijuana arrests in New York City. It’s curious because small-scale possession of marijuana in New York State isn’t a crime (it is a non-arrestable ticketable “violation”). Nor do drugs that are “immediately apparent” based on “plain-feel” during a “Terry Frisk” (for weapons) give police justification to…

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Marijuana Arrests in NYC to Decrease in 2011

As one does, I was just reading the future in my Greek (née Turkish) coffee grounds, and I saw an interesting development. [Cue swamy music] I see that the NYPD is going to start making fewer arrests for possession of marijuana this year starting right about now… I predict that in 2011, misdemeanor marijuana possession arrests in NYC are going…

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The cost for weed arrests just went up

Last week I reported that marijuana arrests in New York City cost the city $75 million per year. In truth, that’s a pretty conservative estimate. One thing left out is the cost of actually testing the drugs people are arrested for. Now if somebody takes a quick plea, the drugs may never be tested. But with 50,000 marijuana arrests, there…

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NYC Marijuana Arrests Cost City $75 mil

So reports the Daily Newsabout a new reportby the Drug Policy Alliance. In response, Commissioner Kelly says if you don’t like, call your state senator. Of course, that’s a bit disingenuous because the law is already pretty clear: small-scale possession of marijuana in New York State is not an arrestable offense. The problem is how the NYPD enforces a violation…

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Non-violent drug offenders don’t end up in prison…

…except when they do. Patricia Marilyn Spottedcrow, who is serving 10 years in prison, has been taken away from her four young children and husband, and has ended her work in nursing homes because of $31 in marijuana sales. On Dec. 31, 2009, Spottedcrow and her mother, Delita Starr, 50, sold a “dime bag” of marijuana to a police informant…

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On the downside…

“Marijuana farming in Calif. forest harms animals, pollutes water.” That’s not good. Of course the problem, once again, is that it’s illegal. We could make it legal.

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Weed Menace Grows in New York City–NYPD Responds

Your Attention Please: Marijuana has now been found in all five boroughs. Luckily, in response to this plague, the NYPD has cracked down and arrested more people than ever for the crime of possessing marijuana. In 2010, 50,383 were arrested (86 percent of these are black or Latino). Noble drug warriors estimate that a continued focus on locking up low-level…

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Pat Robertson for Legalized Pot Possession

Stranger things have happened. But I can’t think of when. I saw this the other day watching the 700 Club [not true]. “We’ve got to look at what we’re considering crime.” Robertson also comes out against mandatory sentences. “It’s costing us a fortune and it’s ruining young people.” Preach on, Brother Robertson. [Update: Robertson clarifies his perspective] But seriously, it’s…

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