Decriminalizing marijuana in The City Of Brotherly Love has been a hot topic for the past couple of months. Philly is now the largest city to do so. Fines are ranging up to $100 for actually smoking in public and a $25 fine for possession of marijuana up to 30 grams with no arrests warranted. Mike Whitner was the first person to get a citation for actually lighting up in Philadelphia. The first marijuana fine was acquired by lighting up in the City Hall courtyard. He seemed to be one of the happiest people actually to be getting fined. I think he was happier he wasn’t getting arrested.
Is it Okay to Smoke in Front of City Hall? If So, Why?
I think it actually may send a bad message to smoke in such a public place as City Hall. It is still a drug that in many forms is a detriment to your well-being. Perhaps not as much as other drugs, but it still doesn’t promote good health. It is still not something that should be promoted as a healthy alternative to any other drugs, such as alcohol or cigarettes. I do like that people still will be cited for it though, just as they would if they were caught drinking alcohol in public. You aren’t allowed to drink a beer openly without getting a fine; it should be the same for marijuana as well.
Peaceful Protests on Decriminalizing Weed in Philadelphia
Peaceful protests can go a long way toward driving home legislation and creating proper awareness. I think peaceful protesting is warranted, as people did when the law first was passed. It shows people marijuana is not something that will cause an uprising or riots in the streets. It’s a personal choice people make to partake in it. Working with the police beforehand to let them know the protest was going to happen made things even more peaceful.
Does Marijuana Warrant an Arrest?
Peaceful protests also show that smoking marijuana doesn’t an arrest. They also show it doesn’t bring mass hysteria like people at one time believed. Doing this was the right thing to do. In my opinion this protest is just to show support for the new legislation, and show people there can be peaceful protests, and effective protests, for the decriminalization of marijuana.
Philadelphia Has One of the Highest Crime Rates in the Country.
Philly always has been known as one of the toughest cities in the country and one of the toughest on crime. With new decriminalization laws, there are now opportunities to allocate resources more efficiently. This includes spending less time locking up criminals for a small amount of marijuana and worrying more about the more violent crimes throughout the city such as murder, rape, theft robbery, etc.
Lighten The Punishment of Pot
Councilman Jim Kenney, who sponsored the decriminalization bill, was quoted as saying, “It’s just a crazy punishment for something so miniscule.” And in September, Kenney argued the decriminalization policy would spare young people “the life-altering consequences of a criminal record, such as limited job prospects, inability to obtain student loans or even joining the armed services.” That has happened to many people I know. There is a seventy-eight percent difference in marijuana arrests in 2014 compared to the same months in 2013. Seventy-two people were arrested from October 20 through November 20 in 2014, as opposed to 320 people in 2013. This means about 250 fewer people do not have a simple drug possession charge on their record, something that can go a long way toward hurting their future.
I am in favor of decriminalization of marijuana. Not just because it makes smoking pot and not getting in trouble easier,, but because research shows it is not as harmful to the human body as some may believe. Also, it truly can have a life-altering effect if you are arrested for something as small as a gram or so of marijuana. Some individuals (mostly young people) end up locked up for a period of time, some longer than others. They incur heavy fines and the criminal record can prevent them from getting a job.
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