PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER Editorial: Given that Pennsylvania is still struggling to come to terms with the legalization of gin under FDR, it’s not surprising that the commonwealth is well behind the current vanguard of marijuana policy. But there are signs that the state is making belated progress in withdrawing from the failed war on weed.
Last week, Philadelphia Councilman Jim Kenney introduced a bill to end mass arrests for possession of small amounts of marijuana. Meanwhile, in Harrisburg, Gov. Corbett incrementally moderated his pro-prohibition stance, saying he would support medical use of a marijuana derivative…
Besides grossly misallocating precious crime-fighting resources, this dragnet falls disproportionately on minorities. Studies show that black and white Americans use marijuana at similar rates, but black Philadelphians account for about four out of five arrests for possession of the drug… (more)
