How Many People Were Busted for Pot in Portland?

Pot will still get you into trouble in Portland.

As Portland's new ordnance goes into effect, police are warning that they will still bust you for smoking marijuana. The Portland Green Independent Committee hopes that that will change in the future. For now if you're caught, you pay the price. But how much time dose marijuana related cases tie up Portland PD anyway?

Portland Police say only a small fraction of the over 85,000 calls they receive a year are marijuana related. In fact, from July 2012 to July 2013 police only issued 54 summonses for pot possession. The year before, they issued 64. Since July, Portland officers cited 20 people for marijuana-related violations.

Last month 67% of Portland voters O.Ked the recreational use of marijuana. Since the vote, eight citations have been issued. Four marijuana possession summonses and four possession of paraphernalia citations.

Maine has decriminalized any amount of marijuana under 2.5 ounces to a civil offense. Fines top out at $600.