Here's everything you need to know before blazing in the Big Easy.
Tyler Koslow
As the fight to decriminalize
marijuana in the United States rages on, a critical victory for
cannabis advocates has just come from inside the cajun styled,
jazz-loving city of New Orleans.
Starting
on June 22, possession of marijuana will provide those residing in The
Big Easy with much more lenient consequences, particularly for repeat
offenders. The new ordinance
was authored by councilwoman Susan Guidry, who also serves as chair to
the Criminal Justice Committee, it was eventually passed by the New
Orleans City Council back in March.
During
this past week, New Orleans Police Department’s Superintendent, Michael
Harrison, explained to the members of the City Council Criminal Justice
Committee how his officers will enforce the new standards, so I’ll
attempt to do the same for you here.
For starters, the new, more lenient law will apply to anyone over the age of 17 carrying less than 2.5 pounds of marijuana.
Unfortunately,
for those tokers who start younger than most, anyone under that age
will still be brought to juvenile detention, as officers are technically
not allowed to issue them with a summonses.
Also, whether or not you
have your stash of cannabis for personal use or with intent to
distribute, will still remain up to the police officer at the scene.
Since
2010, the NOPD has had the option to issue a court summons first-time
offenders, but the new ordinance will grant them the choice to do so
with repeat offenders as well.
But,
there are also a few nuances in the law that still leave the former,
more harsher laws in check. For instance, the new ordinance will not
apply if the suspect is found in one of drug-free zones in New Orleans,
which includes schools, parks, and a number of churches.
Officers
can still technically arrest any subject for possession under the much
stricter Louisiana state law, but will need the signature and approval
of a supervisor to do so.
“NOPD
will develop guidelines for determining when it is appropriate to
charge under state law instead of local law and train officers
appropriately,” said Tyler Gamble, a spokesperson for the NOPD.
Another
important note is that the new ordinance will not affect the State
Police, who still plan to operate under the state law. This stands to
especially impact the tourist-heavy French Quarter, where these State
Police will remain a heavy presence, leaving one of the most highly
touted areas of New Orleans under stricter possession laws.
With
the new ordinance, there will be a vast difference between the New
Orleans ordinance and the Louisiana state laws, but at the end of the
day, police will still be able to persecute under the full extent of the
law if they so desire.
"This ordinance, especially as amended, would not limit anything about current police practices or procedures," said Susan Guidry, the author of the ordinance. "This law would merely extend that choice to all possessions."
Fines
under the marijuana ordinance enforcement will be a minimum of $40, and
could rise to a maximum of $100 for those undergoing their fourth
conviction. These new laws are extremely toker-friendly in comparison to
the state laws, which allows up to 15 days in jail and a $300 fine for
just the first offense, which could sometimes rise up to eight years
in jail and a $5,000 fine for the fourth conviction.
NOPD
Superintendent Harrison has claimed that the police will be monitoring
how the new laws are enforced by the area, ensuring the City Council
members and city of New Orleans that the ordinance will not be unfairly
enforced in areas within municipalities with higher crime rates. All in
all, the NOPD is attempting to use the new ordinance to help reduce
their time spent dealing with minor crimes, and also to reduce the
number of low-level offenders in the city’s jails.
No comments:
Post a Comment