Philadelphia: Cannabis Arrests Drop 78% in One Month After Decriminalization Takes Effect
The Philadelphia Liberty Bell.
On October 20th, a law decriminalizing the possession of up to 30 grams of cannabis became law in Philadelphia. Between October 20th and November 20th, there was just 20 new tickets issued, 14 for possession (a $25 ticket) and 6 for consuming in public (an $100 ticket).
In that same time period, there were 72 arrests for cannabis, though that number is down drastically from the amount of arrests during the same time period in 2013 (320); in total, there was a 78% decline in arrests. These numbers are from the Philadelphia Police Department.
Although it’s unfortunate to see any cannabis arrests still occuring, it’s a promising sign to see such a sharp decline in arrests in such a short period of time after the new law taking effect.
– TheJointBlog