marijuana arrests Archives - Cannabis Business Executive - Cannabis and Marijuana industry news

Why It’s So Hard to Crack Down on Stoned Drivers in New York

Since recreational marijuana was legalized statewide in March 2021, weed now seems ubiquitous on New York City roadways. At smoke shops, customers drive off after blazing up. In motion or at red lights, smoke wafts from car windows, the smell…

After Virginia legalized pot, majority of defendants are still Black

October 17, 2022
AggregatedNews
Virginia
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A year after Virginia lawmakers legalized recreational marijuana with hopes of lessening racial disparities in enforcement, police in the state are still more likely to arrest Black people than White people for marijuana-related offenses, a Washington Post analysis found. While…

Home Grow Arrests: Consequences of Virginia’s Half in Half out Cannabis Laws

October 7, 2022
Eric Postow
Virginia
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In 2021, Virginia legalized possession of cannabis for adults over the age of 21. In their infinite wisdom they also legalized home cultivation for up to four plants per household but failed to establish legal sales. This has led to the…

NY used to arrest thousands for marijuana each year. Now? Hardly anybody

November 23, 2021
AggregatedNews
New York
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To understand how rapidly New York overhauled its marijuana laws, look no further than its impact on the criminal justice system. Fewer and fewer people are being arrested on marijuana offenses in New York, underscoring the major effect of the drug’s decriminalization in…

Report: Black Wisconsinites 4.3 Percent More Likely To Be Convicted For Possession Of Marijuana

While marijuana usage is equal across racial groups, Black people are more likely to be arrested and convicted for possession of the drug in Wisconsin, according to a new report from the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office. Milwaukee County's arrest disparity is…

New Jersey Stops Marijuana Arrests, Ends Pending Prosecutions

February 24, 2021
AggregatedNews
New Jersey
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New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal has ordered an immediate end to marijuana arrests and pending prosecutions while telling courts to set aside convictions before this week, when Governor Phil Murphy signed legalization bills. Weed still can’t be sold legally,…

DA moves to dismiss more than 1,000 marijuana convictions in Santa Cruz County

More than a thousand marijuana-related convictions dating back as far as 1969 may soon be thrown out in Santa Cruz County. Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell announced Thursday he has petitioned local courts to reduce, dismiss and seal…

Having a pound of marijuana wouldn’t get you arrested in New Jersey under a new bill

Almost all arrests for possession of marijuana would be eliminated in New Jersey if a new bill is adopted by the state legislature. The bill would not legalize marijuana — that decision is being left to the voters on Nov. 3.…

Despite legalization, people of color still disproportionately targeted for marijuana, new studies say

Marijuana legalization has been touted as one way to unravel the consequences of the war on drugs, but two new studies suggest that the communities most harmed by the nearly 50-year crusade — namely people of color — are not…

SF district attorney to wipe out 9,000-plus pot cases going back to 1975

February 26, 2019
AggregatedNews
California
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San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón announced Monday that his office will wipe out more than 9,000 marijuana-related convictions in an unprecedented step following California’s cannabis legalization more than two years ago. Gascón last year teamed up with Code for…

N.J. mayors threaten to ban weed dispensaries if lawmakers don’t meet their demands

The mayors of New Jersey’s two biggest towns won’t allow marijuana dispensaries in their cities unless they are happy with how the legalization bill addresses previous weed convictions. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop joined a handful…

Despite marijuana’s increasing legalization and acceptance, arrests soar in Philly Suburbs and South Jersey

Corey Thornton admits he gave little thought to the marijuana in his car as he drove along Germantown Pike near the Plymouth Meeting Mall in March. He was heading home to Philadelphia, where police have essentially decriminalized marijuana possession — no…

Most People Won’t Be Taken Into Custody For Smoking Cannabis In Public, Under New D.C. Policy

D.C. police say they will take fewer people into custody when they are caught using marijuana in public, and instead cite them the way they would someone caught for a moving violation. The new policy was announced late Friday by…

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio Instructs NYPD To Stop Arresting People Smoking Marijuana

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has told top brass at the city's police department to stop arresting people who are caught smoking marijuana in public, according to a City Hall aide. Currently, smoking in public can lead to…

Despite NYC’s Lenient Pot Policy, This Shocking Marijuana Arrest Statistic Persists

February 27, 2018
AggregatedNews
New York
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Four years after New York City unveiled a new marijuana enforcement policy, lawmakers say data shows racial disparities persist in the marijuana arrest capital of the world—and blasted the NYPD for saying it’s due to complaints from communities of color. In…