Asbury Park City Council to Draft Resolution in Support of Marijuana Decriminalization

The Asbury Park City Council has announced its intention to draft a resolution supporting the decriminalization of marijuana in the State of New Jersey.

The resolution would serve primarily as a gesture of good faith, symbolizing city lawmakers’ support for the community organization known as “Help Not Handcuffs.” The organization, led by founder Randy Thompson, has sought to curtail arrests for simple possession of marijuana, which they believe is the lowest level of criminal offense and often involves otherwise law-abiding citizens.

Under current law in New Jersey, marijuana use is only lawful under medically-approved circumstances with the guidance of a registered doctor. Otherwise, anyone found in possession of under 50 grams of marijuana will be charged with a disorderly persons offense, punishable by up to 6 months in the county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, and a charge on the defendant’s criminal record.

Mayor John Moor of Asbury Park said the intention of the resolution is to raise awareness for decriminalization among State legislators. Chief Anthony Salerno of the Asbury Park Police Department will also participate in the formulation of the resolution, but law enforcement officials will continue to abide by State regulations pending a decriminalization decision.

According to statistics provided by Help Not Handcuffs, arrests for possession of marijuana total nearly half of drug arrests nationwide. In addition, in Asbury Park, marijuana possession arrests were among almost half of the 440 drug possession arrests in 2013. With current statistics in mind, a decision toward decriminalization would significantly impact the number of arrests related to marijuana in Asbury Park and the State of New Jersey as a whole.

It remains to be seen how law enforcement efforts would be redirected if marijuana possession becomes a non-enforceable issue. One argument in favor of decriminalization hinges on the idea that it would compel authorities to pursue more dangerous offenders who pose a greater threat to public safety. With strong feelings on both sides, this issue is far from resolved and the contentious dialogue surrounding decriminalization will continue until a more definitive determination is reached.

For additional information related to this matter, access the following article: Asbury Park backs legalization of marijuana