DeutschHello dear readers! Let’s talk today about a hot-button issue that has caused a stir in Kentucky over the past two decades.
More than 300,000 arrests since 2002
Since 2002, over 300,000 people in Kentucky have been charged with violations of state marijuana laws. This impressive figure comes from an analysis by the Kentucky Centre for Economic Policy.
Possession of marijuana: main reason for charges
Alarmingly, over 90% of these charges are for possession of marijuana, a class B misdemeanour punishable by up to 45 days in jail and a criminal record. Of those charged with marijuana law violations, about 59% were convicted.
A call for change
The authors of the report emphasise that “one in ten of the 3.1 million people accused of a crime in Kentucky during this period (June 2002 to July 2022) were associated with cannabis”. They are calling on Kentucky to recognise the ongoing harms of an incarceration-based approach and move towards a system that regulates and taxes cannabis use.
Matthew Bratcher, the executive director of Kentucky NORML, also commented on the issue, stressing that “even one arrest for marijuana possession is one too many, let alone over 300,000.” He calls for a move away from the failed repressive policies of prohibition and a policy of legalisation, regulation and education.
Final thoughts
It’s clear that marijuana policy in Kentucky has impacted many lives over the past two decades. The question remains: Is it time for a change? The voices calling for reform are getting louder and louder. It remains to be seen what direction Kentucky will take in the future.
Source: https://norml.org/news/2023/09/21/kentucky-police-arrested-hundreds-of-thousands-of-people-for-marijuana-violations-over-past-two-decades/?link_id=28&can_id=727ca046d598a3ab89b24b1212ca3bc2&source=email-norml-news-of-the-week-9212023&email_referrer=email_2053101&email_subject=norml-news-of-the-week-9212023