Thirty-five years ago New York state lawmakers decided it wasn’t against an arrestable offense to have a small amount of pot on you, as long as it remained out of site. Still, however, more than 39,000 people were arrested for low-level pot possession charges last year. While this marks a drop of 22%, it indicates there is still major work to be done.
Continue reading “NYC Marijuana Arrests Down 22%”
Ithaca Mayor Calls For NY Marijuana Legalization
Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick has called for legalization of marijuana and de-prioritization of criminal enforcement. The first-term Democrat called on the state to approve medical marijuana or legalize the substance outright. Continue reading “Ithaca Mayor Calls For NY Marijuana Legalization”
Marijuana Arrests are Not Future Felons
In response to the more than 500,000 people arrested in New York City for public possession of marijuana over the last 15 years, Human Rights Watch recently released a report, “A Red Herring: Marijuana Arrestees Do Not Become Violent Felons,” demanding a closer look at the allocation of resources to pot arrests.
Will New York Decriminalize Marijuana Possession?
It hardly seems likely in the city where cops virtually trick people into showing them their pot, but Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg seem to agree on decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana. Continue reading “Will New York Decriminalize Marijuana Possession?”
In NYC, Pot Possession Has Many Potential Repercussions
The NYPD has lightened enforcement of marijuana laws when it comes to personal possession. But not everyone is on the same page. As this article in the New York Times shows, parents are losing their children to the foster care system on allegations of neglect, often when they were found with a trivial amount of marijuana. Continue reading “In NYC, Pot Possession Has Many Potential Repercussions”
NYC the “Marijuana Arrest Capital of the World”
The title is nothing to brag about but it’s official, with recent numbers stating the Big Apple gets about 15% of its arrests from marijuana offenders, the city is officially the “marijuana arrest capital of the world,” according to the Drug Policy Alliance. Continue reading “NYC the “Marijuana Arrest Capital of the World””
NYC Marijuana Arrests Show Racial Disparity
In a story that may not be surprising to many, the New York Times revealed this week that blacks in NYC are far more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than other racial groups despite the fact that white New Yorkers are more likely to be marijuana smokers. In addition, overall arrests for possession of pot are up under Mayor Bloomburg. Continue reading “NYC Marijuana Arrests Show Racial Disparity”