New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton announced on Monday that getting caught with less than 25 grams of marijuana in NYC will result in a ticket and not an arrest as of November 19.
No arrest – no criminal violation – no record….just a ticket and a $100 fine for first-time offenders. A second offense within three years can trigger another summons and a $250 fine.
Any amount over 25 grams could result in a misdemeanor charge subject to arrest. Smoking any amount of marijuana will result in a misdemeanor charge subject to arrest.
Mayor de Blasio, who vowed to make changes to long-standing stop-and-frisk tactics, says ““Blacks and Latino communities have been disproportionately affected,” says the new policy will be more fair and will restore faith in the criminal system.
