Marijuana Decriminalized in Philadelphia.

[camsdad]

Shortly after Washington State and Colorado lifted their marijuana restrictions, other cities and states started to follow in their footsteps. Not too many places actually made it completely legal. Like in my city of Philadelphia (P.A) on Monday our mayor signed a bill that would decriminalize weed, meaning you can no longer be arrested for it, but you will get either a small or hefty fine. $25 dollars for possession and $100 dollars if you are caught smoking it. My question is this. Will cops be okay to acknowledge this new bill or will they only accept that federal law still says that pot is illegal everywhere in the country and arrest people for having it?

 

[princenyc]

Cops have to follow the laws in their states. It's federal officers that enforce federal law. But they usually just go by what the state does.

It's nice to see them decriminalize weed. I don't personally indulge but I know a LOT of people who do. Smoking it is truly a victimless crime.

 

[DancingLady]

It is not victimless if the person smokes it and gets behind the wheel. A friend of mine has had some weird experiences on the road with drivers who were high right around a place that was known for selling it (they eventually got busted). People are not able to think clearly when they are high and they can hallucinate, over react or do other illogical things that pose a danger to others.

 

[camsdad]

Marijuana hardly causes hallucination. Most people will hardly overreact when they're high. A legal substance can cause one of those two symptoms and it's called alcohol. The amount of people who get away with drunk driving is astonishing to me yet nothing is being done about booze. Nothing that they say about weed has ever actually been proven but everyone chooses to believe. Alcohol has harmed families and killed many people. Everything in moderation as they say.

 

[Strykstar]

It's nice to see them decriminalize weed. I don't personally indulge but I know a LOT of people who do. Smoking it is truly a victimless crime.

That's my opinion as well, if alcohol and tobacco are both legal and known to be harmful, there is no reason for marijuana to be illegal.

 

[askanison]

Same here I don't think marijuana being decriminalized will cause any problems. Look at Colorado, crime went down and nothing bad happened like the so called experts swore it would. Marijuana is a very relaxing drug and doesn't make you violent. It can make you crave some Taco Bell though. LOL

 

[princenyc]

Like someone said, everything in moderation.
If you drink too much there are issues. Same with weed. But just like you don't blame the car when someone speeds, you shouldn't blame the weed when someone does something stupid while high. Charge them with the crime they committed. Leave the weed out of it.

 

[camsdad]

Like someone said, everything in moderation.
If you drink too much there are issues. Same with weed. But just like you don't blame the car when someone speeds, you shouldn't blame the weed when someone does something stupid while high. Charge them with the crime they committed. Leave the weed out of it.

I've never heard it said better! I'm not much of a drinker so if I have too much, anything that happens afterwards was already predetermined. It's not the booze's fault at all.

 

[sillylucy]

I am glad to hear that the rest of the country is slowly starting to decriminalize marijuana. It is a strain on our jails. People get busted for a few joints and then they end up costing tax payers over $25K to feed and keep them in jail. So ready for reform on this issue.

 

[Teens In Crisis]

Reform might be a good thing, but there needs to be balance in the system. Driving under the influence is still a crime, regardless of what the drug is, and those laws need to be enforced. As well as age restrictions. It can't be a "weed free for all" just because it was decriminalized. People seem to forget about that.

 

[Patrick]

I think that treating marijuana the same way as we treat alcohol would be fair. Acknowledge its recreational use and tax it, while outlining strict guidelines on how it should not be abused, with harsh punishments meted out (like DUI)

 

[camsdad]

I think all indulgences should have in their respective places. Mostly in your own home so you're not bothering anyone else. Driving around and getting high is not something I would recommend because although weed may seem harmless, it can and will distract you from reality. It's all about having respect for others and if you do what you want in your own home nobody gets hurt, at least I hope not.

 

[UsedtobeaCop]

I know some cops in Philly who are against the decriminalization, but most of the social groups around town are pretty strongly in favor of it. I live in the city, and, as far as I can tell through the informal conversations I've had with law enforcement, the general feeling is that it isn't going to impact their day-to-day much. Most people they bust for drugs aren't openly smoking joints on the street. It comes in conjunction with something else, be it driving or something more sinister.

I'm personally in favor of it, because I think it'll lead to less jail and prison strain around the city. If you want to get high in your house, fine by me. Just stay out of a car and don't impact anyone else with your choice (outside the pizza man).