Kenney: Pot Party Raid Was 'Overkill,' State Should Legalize Marijuana

PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) — The mayor of Philadelphia says Pennsylvania should legalize marijuana so police don't have to expend resources on busts like the one in his city over the weekend.

Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney says Saturday's raid at a warehouse hosting a pot-smoking party might have been "overkill." Police arrested 22 people and seized more than 50 pounds of marijuana. More than 200 people attended the party on Saturday night, organized by the Philly Smoke Session.

22 Arrested After Police Raid 'Pot Party' In Frankford 

The site of the pot party was shut down for safety violations after L & I officials found numerous fire code violations inside a warehouse on Worth Street.

The mayor says he understands why police busted the party, citing the large amount of marijuana present and potentially dangerous conditions in the building.

But he says marijuana legalization is "the real solution."

In 2014, the city made possession of small amounts of the drug punishable only by a citation and a fine, but marijuana sales weren't decriminalized.

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