Coastal Georgia’s largest county becomes latest to drop marijuana cases

Chatham County District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones announced Tuesday that she’ll generally stop prosecuting misdemeanor marijuana cases involving possession of less than an ounce of the drug.

Alex Brandon / AP Photo

The district attorney of coastal Georgia’s largest county has become the latest prosecutor statewide to say she’ll generally stop prosecuting misdemeanor marijuana cases involving possession of less than an ounce of the drug.

Chatham County District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones made the announcement Tuesday. Like other prosecutors, police chiefs and sheriffs who have stopped marijuana enforcement, she cited the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s refusal to test for small amounts of marijuana unless other felony charges are involved.

“Without a verified test, the state cannot prove that the accused violated the law,” Jones said in a statement.