Proposed New Ordinance:

Within Monroeville/Monroe County, reduce the penalty for simple possession of marijuana of up to 2 ounces punishable by fine only ($150). Redirect the funds attained thru the decriminalization of marijuana and reinvest proportionately into community programs that selflessly promote equal and integrated growth opportunity and technically advanced learning for the youth in our public schools in Monroe County.

In 2021, the State of Alabama approved a medical marijuana program. Nearing 2026, The state of Alabama has yet to provide its citizens with a medical marijuana program due to its corrupt practices.

Fact Sheet

• Already Legal within the US
• At least 24 states have already legalized marijuana (nation's capital Washington D.C. included)
• 40 states allow for medicinal use of marijuana
• Already Decriminalized in Birmingham (AL), Jackson (MS), and Atlanta (GA)\
• Racial and Social Injustice

Studies by the American Civil Liberties Union show that despite roughly equal usage rates, Blacks are 3.73 times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana. Studies also show that between 2001 and 2010, 88% of the 8.2 million arrests were for simply having marijuana.

Simple Possession can currently be punishable by:

• Class A Misdemeanor – up to $6,000 fine and up to 1 year in jail
• Class C Felony – $15,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison

Advantages of Decriminalization

• Avert promotion of the school to prison pipeline. Convictions for simple possession can prevent individuals from furthering education, obtaining jobs, having access to housing, family, and community.
• Avoid cycle of Collateral Consequences – Alabama law allows for suspension of driver’s licenses as a result of unpaid court fines, despite a lack a public transportation in many rural towns. A report by Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice found that nearly 45% of people with court debt had their licenses suspended, which limits a person’s ability to travel to work.
• People can receive the benefits of medical marijuana without fear of irreparable harm

Medical cannabis is available elsewhere in the United States, such as in the state of Florida, without fear of prosecution and facing the disparities that exist in today’s legal system.

Marijuana can be used to treat PTSD; PTSD has numerous causes, such as: accidents, physical assault, death of a loved one, war, natural disaster, serious injury, death threats, even the way a person’s body produces and regulates its own chemicals

Safer than Alcohol and Tobacco

• On average 88,000 Alcohol-attributed deaths per year happen in the U.S.; Alcohol is the 3rd leading cause of preventable death (Center for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States with more than 480,000 per year (Center for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Marijuana is non-toxic and has zero attributed deaths (norml.org)
• Patent #6630507 – U.S. Government has patent on Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants (patf.uspto.gov)

Redirecting Funds for meaningful use

• According to Study by Southern Poverty Law Center and Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice), the state of Alabama and its municipalities spends an estimated $22 million per year to enforce prohibition against marijuana. This estimated savings could pay for 191 Pre-K Classrooms, 571 school teachers, 8600 children covered by Medicaid, 628 correctional officers.
• In 2016, police made more arrests for marijuana possession (2,351) than for robbery (1,314), despite the fact there were 4,557 reported robberies during that time frame.
• As of March 31, 2018, the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences had about 10,000 pending marijuana cases, creating a 9 month waiting period for analyses of drug samples. At that same time, the department had a backlog of 1,121 biology/DNA cases.
• In June 2014, Montgomery County faced a backlog of 1,200 drug cases and an average 15 month wait time for test results. This creates hardship for those incarcerated without the means to post bail. Rather than drop charges, de-prioritize enforcement of marijuana laws, or take any other step to remedy the structural issues that create the backlog, then District Attorney established a special docket “to see if any of these defendants will go ahead and plead guilty to these charges without the scientific results,” as told to WSFA News. This creates hardships for people living in poverty. An alternative that has been implemented in that past is drug court, which requires payment of $2508/year, which is more than 16% of a fulltime minimum wage workers gross annual income.

Conclusion:

While it may not be feasible to legalize marijuana in the state of Alabama, it is absolutely right to follow the precedent set forward by cities like Birmingham, AL and Jackson, MS, and Atlanta, GA to decriminalize marijuana and be the torch bearer for justice and equality. Instead of rewarding those attempting to heal themselves with prison and probation, we should allow them to heal and simultaneously provide growth opportunities for the youth in our community.