Chicago decriminalized marijuana possession—but not for everyone
By Mick Dumke
The racial grass gap hasn't narrowed a bit.
Two years after Chicago moved to reform its marijuana laws, a two-tiered system of justice remains firmly in place: while low-level pot possession has essentially been decriminalized for residents of affluent neighborhoods, others are routinely stopped and cuffed in an ongoing crackdown in poor, minority areas.
The number of arrests for marijuana possession citywide has dropped to its lowest level in 12 years. But police continue to make an average of 44 arrests a day for misdemeanor possession, more than for any other offense.
And who's getting busted hasn't changed at all.
Though studies have found similar marijuana usage rates across racial groups, 78 percent of those arrested since August 2012 for carrying small amounts of pot were black, according to police department data. Another 17 percent were Hispanic, and just 4 percent were white—virtually the same breakdown as before the new possession ordinance went into effect.
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http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/police-bust-blacks-pot-possession-after-decriminalization/Content?oid=13004240
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Mayor from '83 to '87. He died in office. He had a strong coalition of Blacks, Hispanics, LGBT, and liberal whites. He was hilarious when he debated or argued with other politicians. I don't know if Obama would have gotten to be senator of Illinois if Harold Washington hadn't changed some attitudes here.
take them to rehab/cleanup/counseling .... saving lives and billions of dollars ...
