Pubdate: Sat, 09 Jun 2012
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2012 The New York Times Company
Contact: http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/lettertoeditor.html
Website: http://www.nytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298
Author: Jamie Fellner

A MOVE ON MARIJUANA IN NEW YORK

To the Editor:

Re "Police and Mayor Back Plan to Curtail Marijuana Arrests" (front 
page, June 5):

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's call to end the criminalization of the 
possession in public view of small amounts of marijuana could end a 
serious injustice in New York's criminal justice system. Many critics 
of the current law point out that it is counterproductive and wastes 
police and court resources. It also results in blatantly 
discriminatory arrests.

Each year, tens of thousands of blacks and Hispanics acquire a 
criminal record for marijuana possession, while whites walk around 
with marijuana in their pockets knowing they are unlikely to feel the 
heavy hand of the law.

United States obligations under international human rights law may 
not prohibit drug arrests that defy common sense, but they do 
prohibit those that are racially discriminatory.

JAMIE FELLNER

Senior Adviser, United States Program

Human Rights Watch

New York, June 5, 2012
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