Mayor Bowser Implements Policy to Reduce Number of People Taken into Custody for Public Consumption of Marijuana
(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Peter Newsham announced a policy change that will reduce the number of people taken into custody for “Public Consumption of Marijuana.” Under the new policy, all arrests made for “Public Consumption of Marijuana” must be noncustodial if the arrestee is considered eligible. In the past, a citation (or noncustodial arrest) for “Public Consumption of Marijuana” was an option, but not mandatory procedure.