TRI In The News
Rutherford Institute Calls for De-emphasis of Marijuana Offenses
From Newsplex
Original article available here
The Rutherford Institute and president John W. Whitehead is calling on Charlottesville City Council to vote in favor of a resolution that asks the city to make marijuana offenses less of a law enforcement priority.
In a letter to city council, Whitehead points out that while overwhelming evidence points to the fact that the government’s so-called war on drugs ranks as the longest-running, most expensive and least effective effort by the American government, federal, state and local governments continue to operate under misguided policies that pose a great danger to American citizens while exhausting police resources.
“In adopting the resolution to de-emphasize primary arrests for marijuana, the City Council has an opportunity to set an example for the Commonwealth of Virginia and the country about what it means to be a community that prioritizes people over policy,” said Whitehead. “Doing so would also show that Charlottesville is progressive enough to act on Americans’ changing attitudes towards marijuana possession, recognizing that the nation’s drug war is a failure and that a new direction is sorely needed.”
Charlottesville resident Jordan McNeish proposed the resolution. If the resolution passes, marijuana would still be illegal, because that is state law. The city, however, would make it less of a priority.
