Only the First Week of January and a Win for Freedom Already

Voters in St. Louis County, Missouri, sent the county's Prosecuting Attorney, Robert McCulloch, packing in last August's Democratic Party primary. McCulloch, as you may remember, was the guy who, instead of either charging or clearing Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the killing of Michael Brown, took the case to a grand jury and then acted as Wilson's de facto defense attorney instead of doing his damn job.

The new prosecutor, Wesley Bell, promises some big changes (changing the cash bail system, opposing the death penalty, holding bad cops accountable, etc.). One that just took effect:

"Bell's office says it will no longer prosecute marijuana possession cases ..."

St. Louis County has a population of about a million, with tens or even hundreds of thousands more who work in, commute through, or visit every day.

Missouri reported more than 20,000 marijuana arrests in 2016. This move effectively legalizes marijuana possession for 1/6th or more of the state's population. It will probably save more than 3,000 people per year from legal hassles and "criminal records" for possession of a common and useful plant.

Good stuff.