Although marijuana is illegal in the state of Maryland, Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced on Tuesday that her office will no longer prosecute marijuana possession cases within Baltimore City limits, regardless of amounts or criminal history. Mosby is also seeking to vacate nearly 5,000 prior convictions following a nationwide trend of prosecutors minimizing manpower used on marijuana prosecutions.

“We need to get serious about prioritizing what actually makes us safe,” Mosby said in a statement. “And no one who is serious about public safety can honestly say that spending resources to jail people for marijuana use is a smart way to use our limited time and money.”

Mosby cited the trends of disproportionate marijuana enforcement—between 2015 and 2017, 90-percent of citations were black residents—as her reason for making such a “monumental shift.”

“The effects of these failed policies have been especially dire for cities like Baltimore where for decades we have criminalized what is now nationally considered a public health crisis,” she said. “The statistics are damning when it comes to the disproportionate impact the war on drugs has had on communities of color.”

The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), a Washington, D.C.-based organization for marijuana reform, applauded Mosby for her decision and is hopeful that the rest of the state will follow her lead. Currently, district attorneys in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Albany County, and Philadelphia have adopted similar policies, not to mention the 10 states and D.C. that have legalized marijuana for adults 21 and older.

“Nationwide support for legalizing marijuana for adult-use is higher than ever,” Olivia Naugle, legislative coordinator for MPP, told Baltimore. “State’s Attorney Mosby made the fair and just decision to no longer prosecute marijuana possession, and has set an example for the rest of the state of Maryland to consider a safer and more just approach.”

Mosby believes that jailing people for marijuana possession is a misuse of the city’s already limited resources that should be used for prosecuting violent offenses that are a threat to public safety. In the past three years, homicides have increased while homicide arrests have decreased to 30 percent—much lower than the national average of 60 percent. Mosby says that her plan is a “common sense move” to solve this problem.

“Ask any mother who has lost a son to gun violence whether she wants us to spend more time solving and prosecuting her son’s killer or to spend time on marijuana possession,” she said. “It’s not a close question.”

Under Mosby’s new rules, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute will be prosecuted if sufficient evidence is presented, and all first-time offenders will be referred to a diversion program to assist with securing a job. The completion of the program will also result in the expungement of the record and legislation is even being proposed that would allow prosecutors to vacate prior convictions.

The state’s attorney is also calling for support from law enforcement to help with her vision for the city, but interim commissioner Gary Tuggle says that he will still instruct his officers to make arrests for possession of marijuana “unless and until the state legislature changes the law regarding marijuana possession.”

“We need leaders here in Baltimore who are actively working toward a vision of safety that makes all of us more secure in our great city,” Mosby said. “That can’t happen when we’re focused on marijuana possession cases instead of solving and prosecuting more murders.”

Mayor Catherine Pugh released a statement showing support for Mosby’s decision, but also believes that more needs to be done about drug prosecution. She urges the state legislature to analyze the issues and come to an agreement with the state’s attorney’s office for best practices in an effort to help the community.

“We need to commit our full efforts and resources to get violent criminals off our streets,” Pugh said. “It’s important that we look at common sense approaches to laws governing personal possession of marijuana . . . But at the same time, we also need to understand that those who deal illegal substances fuel criminality in our neighborhoods, which leads to violence.”

Since being appointed in 2015 by former police commissioner Kevin Davis, T.J. Smith, who has been known for his blunt, straight-to-the-point approach, resigned effective immediately on Wednesday as the chief spokesman of the Baltimore Police Department.

“Dear Baltimore. It’s time,” Smith said in his letter to the city. “Goodbye for now and thank you for letting me be me.”

Citing an “unstable environment” and “political turmoil” as the cause for his departure, the Baltimore native believes that the city still has “historically and disproportionately been plagued with social ills, guns, violence, and drugs” long before the Freddie Gray riots.

“Everything’s happening at one time—this is a battleship we’re turning around,” Smith told us in a recent podcast interview about the police department. “But we’re turning it around in a canal.”

The BPD said on Wednesday that Smith’s duties will fall to Matt Jablow, a former WBAL-TV reporter and police spokesman who returned to serve as the department’s chief of strategic communications earlier this year.

In his farewell letter, Smith divulges his experiences growing up in West Baltimore, corruption inside the BPD, and the effect it has had on the community.

As a former director of media relations for Anne Arundel County Police, Smith had an unorthodox way of delivering the harsh news. Pulling no punches and sparing no feelings, he knew the community well and it was evident the way he would show up at crime scenes and beg for tips from the public.

“I’ve spoken to families who have been deeply affected by the violence,” Smith said. “And as fate would have it, I too, faced the devastation of a personal loss when my little brother, Dion, was killed . . . Prior to being affected by violence directly, I chose to speak on behalf of everyone’s loved one with the same level of passion and humanity.”

While working under Davis, Smith played a very prominent role in the community. The then commissioner trusted Smith to respond to public crises in a way that the public would understand. He had a way of making sure that the people were listening to him.

“He was beyond a media relations chief to me—he was a close adviser on anything and everything, and I relied heavily on his opinion,” Davis told The Sun. “He’s developed not only into the face and voice of the BPD, but the conscience of the BPD.”

Smith’s departure comes as Mayor Catherine Pugh prepares to name a new police commissioner by the end of this month. Interim commissioner Gary Tuggle—the fourth since Smith joined the BPD—was being considered but withdrew his application earlier this week.

Although he no longer works for the police department, he still considers himself a champion for the city. He’s not sure what he will do next, he writes, “Hmmm, consulting, teaching, media stuff, and maybe, just maybe a book and politics.” But he knows that he plans to continue to play his role in helping to heal Baltimore.

“I love this town,” he said. “And despite its flaws, this city possesses great beauty, is rich in history, and exudes promise. However, the last few years have cast a spotlight on our city’s urban, gritty landscape; from scandals, corruption, murders, riots, and more. Through it all, I walk all over the city and people approach me offering ideas, prayer, and hope. That’s Baltimore, my Baltimore, a deeply resilient town.”