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Arizona county to drop pending pot possession charges after state votes to legalize

Arizona county to drop pending possession charges after state votes to legalize pot
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MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. – Arizona's most populated county will dismiss all pending and unfiled charges of possession of marijuana now that voters have passed Prop 207, which legalizes recreational marijuana in the state.

The Maricopa County Attorney's Office made the announcement on Monday, nearly a week after residents voted on the measure.

MCAO also says it will drop all associated paraphernalia charges before its office as well.

RELATED: How will medical marijuana dispensaries operate in Arizona after Prop 207?

"Instead of continuing to spend resources on these cases, this office will begin implementing the will of the voters immediately," the county attorney's office said in a Monday statement. "We are instructing Deputy County Attorneys to file a motion to dismiss any charge covered by Proposition 207. If those charges make up the entirety of the charges of the case, the entire case will be dismissed. If there are other felony charges the case will remain pending, but we will file motions to dismiss the charges covered by Proposition 207."

RELATED: With Prop 207 passed, how long will it take before you can buy marijuana?

This also includes all cases pending in Early Disposition Court, cases currently in diversion or pending trial, and those set for sentencing or probation violation hearings.

MCAO says priority will be given to cases with court dates and those in custody. MCAO says it also intends to file motions to dismiss bench warrant cases where all the charges are covered by Proposition 207.

It's unclear exactly how many cases will be dismissed under these new policies.

This story was originally published by Clayton Klapper at KNXV.