Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance on Tuesday unveiled a new policy ending almost all prosecution of marijuana possession and smoking.
The New York district attorney’s office will no longer prosecute the cases as of Wednesday, except in cases where marijuana is being sold or if an individual involved “poses a significant threat to public safety.”
The new policy is expected to reduce the number of prosecutions for marijuana in Manhattan by 96 percent, from about 5,000 cases annually to fewer than 200 each year, according to a release.
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