Baltimore’s top prosecutor, State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, announced on Tuesday that her office will stop pursuing prosecutions against individuals charged with marijuana possession, saying: 

“We need to get serious about prioritizing what actually makes us safe, and no one who is serious about public safety can honestly say that spending resources to jail people for marijuana use is a smart way to use our limited time and money.”

While this is a positive step forward, resistance remains. The interim police commissioner has promised that, “[Marijuana arrests will continue] unless and until the state legislature changes the applicable laws.”

Despite the protests of marijuana opponents, progress continues. In the past three years, six states have legalized recreational marijuana and thirteen others have legalized the use of medical marijuana and CBD products. Maryland already has a legal system for medical marijuana, and perhaps Ms. Mosby’s stance will push state legislators to act.

Erin Partin co-authored this post.