OCPD Writes 17 Pot Citations In Law’s First Month

OCEAN CITY — One month into the new state law making simple possession of marijuana a civil offense similar to a traffic ticket, the Ocean City Police Department has not seen any real spike in the number of cases or any significant change in how the department is handling the cases.

The Maryland General Assembly earlier this year passed legislation that will make the possession of 10 grams or less of marijuana a civil offense with a citation that can be paid by an offender without the threat of court appearances, jail time, probation and a permanent mark on his or her record. The original bill allowed for a fine of $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second offense and $500 for a third offense. It has since been amended to just $50 for a first offense and $125 for a second offense.

The new law went into effect on Oct. 1 with more questions than answers on how it will be enforced and the possible eventual repercussions on the court system. Just one month in, the OCPD hasn’t reported any significant changes in how it handles simple marijuana possession cases, but it’s important to note the sample size is fairly small because of the time of the year in the resort area.

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