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Misdemeanor marijuana cases for possession of small amounts
of the drug, which totaled 15,000 cases last year, will be
dismissed for those with less than three arrests or citations,
said Sally Daly, a spokeswoman for Cook County State's Attorney
Anita Alvarez.
Cook County includes the nation's third-largest city and many
surrounding suburbs.
Alvarez plans to discuss the reforms at a news conference on
Monday. The primary focus will be a "first of its kind"
alternative prosecution program designed for repeat low-level
drug offenders that will divert them out of the criminal justice
system, the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
A program will be designed for non-violent individuals charged
with Class 4 felony possession of controlled substances and link
repeat offenders with social service agencies for treatment,
rather than pursuing criminal penalties, the prosecutor's office
said.
Last year, Class 4 felony drug possession cases accounted for 25
percent of all felony cases in Cook County.
The proposal comes as a growing number of U.S. states have
relaxed marijuana laws. Medical marijuana is legal in 23 states,
and voters have approved the drug for recreational use in four
states and Washington, D.C.
Public opinion has also shifted toward legalizing marijuana in
recent years, with nearly half of Americans supporting full
legalization, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling.
Chicago decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana
in 2012, allowing violators to be ticketed instead of arrested
if they are caught with 15 grams (.05 ounces) or less.
In supporting the ordinance, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said it would
free up more police officers to focus on more serious crimes.
(Reporting by Mary Wisniewski; Editing by Michael Perry)
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