New Orleans decriminalizes cannabis and pardons 10,000 cases

The New Orleans city tour got creative to promote cannabis reform and decriminalization while city police struggled to regain trust. On August 5, the New Orleans City Council passed several items on the agenda to end the penalties for minor cannabis possession and pardon about 10,000 convictions and pending lawsuits.

According to a press release, the council was able to lift penalties for simple possession of marijuana in New Orleans by exercising its pardon now and retrospectively. Ordinance 33.328 is one of the ordinances adopted.

City officials said the effort is aimed at building the community’s trust in the police – which they could really use now. Another goal is to enable the New Orleans Police Department to focus on reducing violent crime rather than wasting their time on petty marijuana charges. While New Orleans City Council does not have the power to legalize adult marijuana, it does have the ability to decriminalize it through an ordinance that changes police policy.

Smoking cannabis will continue to be banned in public places, but instead of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) issuing a drug subpoena, it will just be a ticket that violates the smoke-free air act – which is not a drug charge.

“These new guidelines will help the NOPD build trust in the community and use the hours saved to address important issues such as shootings, murders and the general prevention of violence in our city,” said Council President Helena Moreno. “We must begin by rethinking the historical practices that have overpunished, overpunished, and stigmatized our communities for decades. The time to end the criminalization of cannabis possession is now. I am proud of what this councilor has achieved today. That is historical. “

Pardons for approximately 10,000 past offenses are expected to take effect immediately. However, the automatic pardons for future crimes won’t come into effect until September 15 – so the police have time to adjust to the new policy. The city council must pardon anyone who has since been arrested for possession of marijuana.

New Orleans City Council released numbers to support the legislation. “Recent studies show that despite comparable national marijuana use rates, black people in Louisiana are 3.4 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession. From 2010 to 2018, these arrests increased by over 18% across the state, ”the council said.

ICYMI: We passed several historic bills today to end the penalties for minor cannabis possession and pardon around 10,000 convictions and pending lawsuits. The approved package is a big step forward for #NOLA. Learn more: https://t.co/11BuYW1U6G pic.twitter.com/kzWS1nBuPZ

– NOLACityCouncil (@NOLACityCouncil) August 5, 2021

The roots of the cannabis law in New Orleans

Marijuana-related arrests fell sharply in the city a few years ago after a similar policy change. Between June 2016 and May 2017, only 1 percent of meetings between police and people accused of marijuana possession resulted in arrests.

At the time, Councilor Susan Guidry told the local media, “We believe the sentence is more appropriate to the crime.”

These efforts extend beyond New Orleans and extend across the state. For years, one of the goals of the Louisiana House of Representatives was to reduce the number of people in Louisiana prisons.

In 2018, the Louisiana Pharmacy Board approved Ruston Henry, pharmacist and owner of the H&W Drug Store, to operate one of the first ten medical marijuana dispensaries in the state. For decades, the drugstore was considered to be the mainstay of society.

The H&W Drug Store, founded in 1961, has changed hands several times over the years. But the pharmacy has always been a staple of the New Orleans 9th district and has served the community for over half a century.

The new legislation signals a major shift in priorities. This will allow the police to focus on actual violent crimes where there are victims.