Prentiss Smith
Contributing Columist
Shreveport passed an ordinance to decriminalize marijuana. It is nothing new for a lot of cities across the country that have decided it is not worth the time nor money to arrest people with small amounts of weed. For some people, it is long past time for law enforcement to focus on real crimes instead of made-up crimes that are non-violent. Moderating these laws could ultimately lead to better policing in Shreveport, because it frees up needed manpower and needed resources.
Locking up non-violent people for something that should be treated as a drug problem, instead a crime problem, has long been a problem in this country. This new ordinance is a more humane and just way to deal with individuals who have no business being enthralled in the criminal justice system, which has done nothing to improve the situation. It is too punitive and too costly.
There are many who believe that people who are chronic marijuana users should be offered drug treatment instead of having to suffer the specter of becoming another statistic in the failed “war on drugs” project. This policy has negatively impacted the lives of thousands of young men and women, especially the lives of young black men and women, who are disproportionately arrested.
This ordinance, which was co-authored and offered by two city councilpersons, Councilwoman Tabitha Taylor and Republican Councilman John Nickelson, simply states that it will implement a reduced municipal penalty for misdemeanor possession of marijuana, Tetrahydrocannabinol or chemical derivatives. It implements a fine of $50 and/or community service in lieu of imprisonment for simple possession of marijuana when a person is in possession of 14 grams or less.
Smoking a joint or possessing a small amount of weed should not be something that gets you thrown in jail. It is a non-violent act that should not even be called a crime. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was not a crime. It only became a crime because some politician had a problem with it, and, thus, it became the law of the land. There is no evidence that marijuana is as harmful as cigarettes or alcohol, which are known carcinogens that have killed millions of people. And just like cigarettes and alcohol, it should not be marketed to young people. Everybody understands that. There are people in custody in Shreveport and in jails all around the country who should not be there. There are plenty been found to have small amounts of weed in their possession, who have had to come up with money they don’t have in order to stay out of jail. The damage is far reaching. Too many lives have been damaged or negatively impacted beand women who have cause they used or possessed marijuana. Sadly, it has been a cash cow for local governments, which Is another conversation.
Councilwoman Taylor and Councilman Nickelson should be given credit for thinking out of the box and doing something that will ultimately free up needed manpower and resources for law enforcement to target real criminal activity. They should also be given credit for working across the aisle in a bipartisan way that moves the city forward.
Black-on-black crime has only increased over the last several years, and it is not because somebody used marijuana or had possession of marijuana. Using law enforcement to interdict and intervene in these types of low-level criminal activity takes away needed resources that could provide better outcomes in those areas where violent crimes are prevalent. In the long run, this new ordinance will do more to improve policing in Shreveport than anything in recent memory, because it allows officers to focus on real criminal activity, and not perceived criminal activity that is non-violent. And that’s the way I see it. smithpren@aol.
THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE April 2 ISSUE OF FOCUS SB - THE INQUISITOR.