Mayor Tishaura O. Jones Signs Board Bill 132, Repealing Outdated Marijuana Possession, Paraphernalia Laws in the City of St. Louis

At a signing ceremony at City Hall with St. Louis Board of Aldermen sponsors Ald. Brandon Bosley (3), Ald. Annie Rice, (8), Ald. Bill Stephens (12), Ald. Jesse Todd (18), and Ald. Bret Narayan (24), Mayor Tishaura O. Jones signed Board Bill 132, which repeals outdated laws related to the possession of small amounts of marijuana and paraphernalia in the City of St. Louis. With the 2018 passage of Amendment 2 to legalize medical marijuana use by Missouri voters, which received the support of 82 percent of St. Louis voters, BB132 harmonizes the laws of the City of St. Louis with those of the Missouri Constitution.

“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,” said Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. “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. ”

"Thank you to all of my colleagues at the Board of Aldermen and to Mayor Jones for being supportive of BB132AA. 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,” said Alderman Bret Narayan (24). “This law represents the clear will of the people of St. Louis. It will allow for our law enforcement officials to use their resources on the most pressing issues in our region, help with labor shortages in our City departments, and will also help prevent our injured first responders from falling into the pitfalls of opiate addiction."

The signing of this critical legislation is the latest step in Mayor Jones’ mission to put the public back in public safety. In the past 3 years, nearly 600 people were arrested in the City of St. Louis for marijuana-related charges. Of those individuals, nearly 500 were Black. Bringing city laws in line with the state constitution, along with preventing marijuana from being used as sole probable cause for search or arrest, will help reduce racial disparities and give officers the ability to better focus on violent crime.