Philadelphia’s decision to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana cut monthly arrests by 78% and is estimated to save the city $3.75 million annually in enforcement costs, a prosecutor told Pennsylvania lawmakers Friday.
Assistant District Attorney Shawn Baldwin of the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office presented the figures during a September 25 hearing of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Policy Committee examining adult-use marijuana legalization.
Philadelphia decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana in 2014. Baldwin said monthly arrests subsequently fell 78% and have remained below 100 per month since 2015.
The reduction allowed police and prosecutors to devote resources to more serious offenses while producing an estimated $3.75 million in annual savings from reduced enforcement costs, according to testimony summarized by the committee.
City data from the early years of decriminalization showed a similarly sharp shift. During the first year of the policy, Philadelphia police issued 1,012 civil citations for low-level marijuana offenses, compared with 3,686 arrests for the same conduct during the previous year.
Baldwin also pointed to New Jersey as an example of how legalization can substantially reduce marijuana-related arrests. Marijuana accounted for around 60% of drug arrests in New Jersey before legalization, compared with just 2% by 2024, according to his testimony.
“These numbers all lead to a simple conclusion,” Baldwin told lawmakers, arguing that legalization would allow police, prosecutors and courts to redirect resources toward higher priorities while reducing costs for municipalities.
The hearing, titled “Adult-Use Cannabis: Criminal Justice, Safety & Economic Impacts,” was hosted by Senate Democratic Policy Committee Chair Senator Nick Miller and Senator Sharif Street.
