Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown issued the following statement today on the final passage of Possession of Marijuana – Civil Offense (SB 364) which will decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana:
“Our State’s current marijuana laws are costly, ineffective, racially biased, and they result in a permanent blot on the records of too many of our young adults. By decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana, we will be able to put our law enforcement resources where they belong: going after the real and violent crime in our communities. We have a responsibility to root out the biases in our justice system, and this legislation will make that system fairer, ensuring that all Marylanders are treated equally and all of our young people have the same opportunity for a brighter future.”
As currently constructed and enforced, Maryland’s marijuana possession laws have been costly, ineffective and racially biased. In addition to the real financial cost of enforcement ($106.7 million in just 2010 alone) there is a significant social and ethical cost as well, as African Americans in Maryland are almost three times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than their white counterparts, despite nearly identical usage rates. African Americans also represent almost 58 percent of all marijuana possession arrests in Maryland but only 30 percent of Maryland’s population.
Brown is a Democratic candidate for governor.
