St. Louis to end prosecution of low-level marijuana crimes

June 13, 2018 at 4:58 p.m. | Updated June 13, 2018 at 4:58 p.m.

by Associated Press

In this Sept. 30, 2016, file photo, a marijuana harvester examines buds going through a trimming machine near Corvallis, Ore. Three years after Oregon lawmakers created the state's new legal marijuana program, marijuana prices in the state are in free fall and the craft cannabis farmers who put Oregon on the map decades before legalization are losing their businesses to emerging chains and out-of-state investors. (AP Photo/Andrew Selsky, File)
In this Sept. 30, 2016, file photo, a marijuana harvester examines buds going through a trimming machine near Corvallis, Ore. Three years after Oregon lawmakers created the state's new legal marijuana program, marijuana prices in the state are in free fall and the craft cannabis farmers who put Oregon on the map decades before legalization are losing their businesses to emerging chains and out-of-state investors. (AP Photo/Andrew Selsky, File)

ST. LOUIS (AP) - St. Louis prosecutors will no longer pursue charges for most low-level marijuana offenses, joining some other cities that have opted to redirect resources toward more serious crimes.

Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner said in an interview Wednesday that her office will review more than 1,200 pending cases in which suspects are accused of possessing under 100 grams of marijuana. She says most will be dismissed, except those with aggravating circumstances.

Gardner, a Democrat, says the glut of marijuana cases hampers the ability to prosecute more serious crimes.

Jeff Roorda of the St. Louis Police Officers Association calls Gardner's decision alarming. He says 100 grams is an amount typically possessed by dealers, not users.

District attorneys in Manhattan and Philadelphia this year announced similar plans to end prosecution of low-level marijuana cases.

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