At least seven members of County Council on Tuesday will introduce a resolution declaring that the possession of small amounts of marijuana and paraphernalia should be a low priority for county police..
The resolution, to be introduced by Councilmember Nancy Navarro with support from six others including Roger Berliner, will also call on state legislators to decriminalize the possession of drug paraphernalia in the same way they decriminalized possession of the drug during the last session.
The decriminalization law made possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana punishable by civil fines for the first two offenses for those 21 and over.
Almost immediately, police officials questioned how enforcement of the new law would actually play out, as possession of drug paraphernalia is a separate criminal offense.
Maryland joined at least 24 other states that have decriminalized, legalized or allowed marijuana for medical use, though Gov. Martin O’Malley made clear he’s not yet in favor of full-on legalization.
Supporters of the decriminalization effort pointed to statistics that show African Americans go to jail at a higher rate for marijuana possession, despite usage levels that are the same as whites.
The members of Council will hold a press conference with state legislators and advocates at noon on Tuesday at the Council Office Building in Rockville.
Photo via Montgomery County Council
