Editor's Note: This move signifies tremendous progress toward ending the failed war against marijuana. With 20,000 people arrested annually, this new practice will affect an estimated 100,000 New Yorkers over the next five years alone–people who would otherwise serve jail time (and the resulting impact that has on their lives) and whose records would be permanently tarnished will now be served with a fine instead of time.
Today, the New York City’s Police Department shifted it’s marijuana enforcement practices away from arresting people possessing 25 grams or less of marijuana. Under the new practices, people with small amounts of cannabis will be fined.
In the past, those caught with small quantities of pot were arrested on misdemeanor charges and faced up to three months in jail.
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio announced plans to revamp enforcement practices recently, citing his belief  that the change in tactics would allow police to spend more time enforcing more serious breeches of the peace and would be fairer to citizens. In previous years, the NYCPD arrested more then 20,000 people annually possessing small amounts of weed. The overwhelming majority of those arrested were young people of color.
