ST LOUIS — The St. Louis Board of Aldermen on Tuesday voted to repeal city ordinances that make it illegal to possess small amounts of marijuana.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that in addition to repealing city ordinances, the bill bars police from enforcing state and federal laws against possession of small amounts or of marijuana paraphernalia, with certain exceptions. Mayor Tishaura Jones in a statement said she will sign it as soon as it reaches her desk.
“Let me be clear: Incarcerating people for marijuana-related, low-level offenses does not make our neighborhoods safer," Jones said. “Needless contact with the prison system harms families and communities across our city.”
Jones said the bill removes an unjust and discriminatory policy. She said nearly 600 people have been arrested in St. Louis on marijuana charges in the past three years, and nearly 500 of them were Black.
