OLYMPIA -- Prosecutions of adults for misdemeanor possession of marijuana have practically dropped off the charts since the passage of Initiative 502, the ACLU of Washington said today.

Data from the Administrative Office of the Court says there were 7,964 such prosecutions in 2009. That had dropped to 5,531 by 2012, when voters approved I-502, which legalized private use of marijuana for recreational purposes for those 21 and over.

Last year, there were 120 cases. That's about 98 percent less.

“The data strongly suggest that I-502 has achieved one of its primary goals – to free up limited police and prosecutorial resources. These resources can now be used for other important public safety concerns,”  Mark Cooke, Criminal Justice Policy Counsel for the ACLU of Washington, said in a press release. 

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