Students and faculty attended a panel discussion, “The Decriminalization of Marijuana and its Effects on Policing,” on Tuesday morning.

The discussion was held at 10:00 a.m. in Alter Hall and concluded soon after 11:00 a.m.

In October of last year, Philadelphia decriminalized the possession of under 30 grams of marijuana, reducing the sanctions from arrest to a civil violations notice and a fine of up to $100.

The panelists in attendance were James Kenney, councilperson of the City of Philadelphia, Lieutenant Brian Sprowal from the Philadelphia Police, Charlie Leone, executive director of Campus Safety Services, Tondala Bausano, assistant director, of the Philadelphia Police Scientific Services Division and Mark Denys, director of Temple student health services.

Panelists took questions from the audience and addressed topics including changes in drug trafficking patterns, the possibility of expunging past drug offenses from offenders’ records, and fully legalizing medicinal marijuana in the future.

Health risks associated with smoking marijuana were also emphasized.

Leone addressed the possible effects of the policy on the Temple community. He cautioned against purchasing marijuana from unreputable or unknown sources.

“You’ve got to be careful what you’re buying … [Decriminalization] doesn’t mean [marijuana] is legal,” Leone said. “Some of the students get involved in the purchase and selling of marijuana and that puts them at risk for a lot of things.”
Lian Parsons can be reached at lian.parsons@temple.edu or on Twitter @Lian_Parsons.