St. Louis Mayor Signs Cannabis Reform Bill

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones has signed a law decriminalizing possession of up to two ounces of cannabis and permits adults to cultivate six plants at home, KSDK 5 reports. Additionally, the law prohibits police from using cannabis odor as probable cause for warrantless search or arrest and decriminalizes certain types of cannabis paraphernalia.

The new law comes three years after 82% of St. Louisans voted for Amendment 2 that legalized medical cannabis in Missouri, KSDK 5 notes.

“We are seeing a major shift in the way our country sees not just marijuana, but how it connects to public safety, incarceration, and economic opportunity in our communities. This law will help reduce racial disparities in our policing, make our city safer, and make St. Louis more competitive in hiring for city positions.” — Mayor Tishaura Jones via KSDK 5

According to the mayor, since the passage of Amendment 2 in 2018, 600 people have been arrested for cannabis in St. Louis and about 500 of those individuals were Black.

“It’s rare that we see so many people from so many different backgrounds unite around a single cause, which is exactly what we have done here,” Alderman Bret Narayan said in the report.