D.C. Police Chief: Cannabis Decriminalization Makes Job ‘Easier for Us’
Washington D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier.
Washington D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said Tuesday that the decriminalization of cannabis has made life easier for police.
“[Decriminalization] saves us from having to charge someone for small amounts of marijuana now, because it really never was productive to begin with”, Chief Lanier told NewsChannel 8 on Tuesday. “It’s a little bit easier for us”.
The comments mark a significant change in tone from Lanier’s response to decriminalization before it was enacted. In June, 2013, Lanier told DCist that she has issues with decriminalization due to “the risk to children with increased access, the health impact of increasingly potent plants, and conflict with federal laws.”
The new law makes the possession of up to an ounce of cannabis a simple $25 ticket, rather than arrestable misdemeanor. Last week D.C. Councilors introduced legislation to take things a step further by legalizing cannabis retail outlets.
– TheJointBlog