INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) – The Marion County Prosecutor's Office announced Monday that it will no longer prosecute simple marijuana possession cases.
Now less than a week later, the prosecutor's office is sharing that since the policy went into effect, 130 pending marijuana cases have been dismissed.
During the Monday announcement, a week after he became acting Marion County prosecutor, Ryan Mears said that under the new policy, someone who is picked up for having an ounce or less of marijuana won't be prosecuted.
"Our priority is violent crime," Mears said. "We are not going to mess around with these small possession of marijuana cases."
This change came in response to minor marijuana possession cases clogging courts, overcrowding jails and taxing resources that could be better spent fighting violent criminals.